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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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Chap..y_i_ f Copyright No. 

SheltJ^jZL 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 





9L. f^ X i«* m , 3). 0. 



Pulpit and Platform Efforts 



SALIFICATION vs. FANATICISM. 



BY 



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REV. J. H. EASON, D. D., 



WITH INTRODUCTION 



BY REV. C. L. FISHER, A. M., B. D., 

Pastor of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala, 



NASHVILLE, TENN.: 

National Baptist Publishing Board. 

1899. 







I •.-■ 



TWO COPIES RECEIVER 

L jbrary of Congre<% 
Office of the 

Register of Copyright* 



48577 

Entered According to Act oe Congress, in the Year 1899, 

BY JAMES H. EASON. 



The Library 
of Congress 

washington 



SECOND COPY, 






Dedicated 
. . . TO THE MEMORY . . . 
of my brother, 
JESSE B. EASON, 
Late manager of The Baptist Leader, who faithfully sup- 
ported me in my public development, and to whose 
life of sacrifice is due much of the little success 
in life I may now justly lay claim. 

J. H. E. 



REV. JAMES HENRY EASON. 



SKETCH OF LIFE AND LABORS. 

Several sketches of the life of the person that 
forms the subject of this sketch have been written. 
One of the best is that written by Rev. S. W. 
Bacote, B. D., Kansas City, Mo., who begins by 
saying : 

"In speaking of the character and relative 
worth of a friend, we must guard against the 
common error of stating too much or too little. 
It is therefore hoped that only the real and not 
the ideal may be discussed here. On October 24, 
1868, when the roar of cannon and fly of shell 
ceased to resound the balmy air, and the Stars 
and Stripes hung again from every public build- 
ing, among the pines, thirteen miles from the rail- 
road, near Sumterville, Ala., was born to Mrs. 
and Mr. Jesse Eason the subject of this sketch, 
whose career from the cradle to maturity has been 
phenomenal. 

"He was sent to school at eight. The plebean 
boy soon became a prodigy. His physical toil 
has been no less marvelous than his intellectual, 
for at five years of age he wended his way up and 
down the corn furrows, watching, seemingly, every 
motion of the farmers, gleaning, as it "were, timely 
hints from the science of agriculture. When be- 
tween the plow handles, or arm in arm -with some 
wrestler, he was at home. Boxing, foot-racing, 
playing football or baseball, he was ever ready. 

(l) 



Sketch of Life and Labors. 



He was a member of an athletic society and was 
to that fraternity what the flugelman is to his 
cadets.' ' 

His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse and Chaney 
Eason, are farmers and own their farm. They 
are faithful Christian workers, the father being a 
deacon in the Sumterville Baptist Church. James 
was taught his alphabet by his mother at the age 
of five years. As a student he was faithful and 
■was never considered dull. He finished the Latin 
normal course of Selma University, a six years' 
course, in four years, under Rev. E. M. Brawley, 
A. M., D. D., graduating in 1885, and was valedic- 
torian of his class. This course was, in sub- 
stance, the normal and college preparatory togeth- 
er. He graduated from Richmond Theological 
Seminary in 1890, when the degree of "B. D." 
was conferred upon him. Of his career in the 
Seminary Rev. Bacote has this to say: "He 
graduated again at the! head of his class. 
Drs. Corey and Yassar, his instructors in theolo- 
gy and mathematics, consider him one of the 
ablest young men the Seminary has ever pro- 
duced/ ' 

The writer, who was a student at the Seminary 
with him, knows as a great thinker, fearless speak- 
er and debater he had few equals and no superiors 
in school, and but few young men dared tackle 
him. Small in stature, long, bony arms, little, 
but piercing eyes, like Zacchaeus, he would have 
to be elevated in a crowd to be seen. In speaking, 
he brings into activity every energy, and with 



Sketch of Life and Labors. 



arms outstretched and eyes sparkling, and a voice 
as the roar of many waters, he lifts his hearers 
from one degree of enthusiasm to another, carry- 
ing persuasion to them, depicting in darkest col- 
ors every defect in his opponents argument, and 
miraculously turning a lost cause into a glorious 
conquest. 

Rev. Eason, as an educator and teacher, is one 
among the best in the State, white or colored. He 
began teaching in the public schools in the State 
in 1883 ; in 1887 he became principal of Garfield 
Academy, Auburn, Ala. Here he especially dis- 
tinguished himself as a skillful manager of diffi- 
culties and a good disciplinarian. While in Rich- 
mond, Va., he taught church history, grammar 
and arithmetic in the Annex for the preparation 
of pupils for the regular course. In 1890 he be- 
came Professor of Mathematics in Selma Universi- 
ty ; in 1893 he was given the chair of Logic and 
Mental Science. When he left the university in 
1897, he was holding the chair of History. As a 
teacher he was inspiring. The men in the State 
that he taught will impress you that they feel 
they have a mission in the world and that they 
must fill it. He taught his subjects in such a way 
that his pupils became intensely interested in their 
work and felt their whole success in life depended 
upon their knowing those subjects. There were 
many sad hearts among both students and teach- 
ers when he left the University. 

As a speaker, James H. Eason has been heard 



Sketch of Life and Labors, 



gladly, and his ability to hold the attention of 
his audience is wonderful. He was programed to 
speak at the Atlanta Exposition. As a preacher, 
when he speaks, the gospel is heard. 

Rev. Eason was baptized in the Sumterville 
Baptist Church, Sumterville, Sumter County, Ala- 
bama, in 1881, and preached his first sermon in 
1883, and was given license to enter the Theologi- 
cal Department of the Alabama Baptist Normal 
and Theological School, now Selma University. 
For several reasons, chiefly because he was not 
his own idea of a preacher, he did not preach an- 
other sermon until 1885. Between these sermons 
he had tried to be a farmer, a doctor and a law- 
yer. He purchased books and studied law for 
some months. He experienced a great restless- 
ness of soul or mind and anguish of spirit. The 
friendly encouragement of Rev. C. L. Puree, D. D., 
and Dr. E. M. Brawley, assisted him greatly in 
reaching his final decision— to lay his life on the 
altar, and thus the weight of disobedience was 
lifted from his heart. They saw in him a life of 
great usefulness. He has been called to several 
churches. He -was ordained in 1891 to take 
charge of* the Union Baptist Church, Marion, Ala., 
which he held until he came to Anniston in 1898 
and took charge of the Galilee Baptist Church. 
He has baptized three hundred persons. 

From Rev. James H. Eason's career in the 
State, he might be counted a leader. His name 
has been connected with every important issue in 



Sketch of Life and Labors. 



the State for nine years ; he has proved to have 
more than an average ability of foresight. Things 
usually come out as he foresees them. In 1887 he 
served as missionary in Alaba.ma under the Home 
Mission Society of New York. For five years he 
has been Moderator of the New Cahaba Associa- 
tion, and no association has done more, for its 
size, in general State work and its improvement 
than this association ha.s, under Rev. Eason's 
management. 

Rev. Eason became editor of the Baptist Leader, 
the organ of colored Baptists of Alabama, in 1895, 
and has kept it in the field ever since, through 
many difficulties. No editor of the paper previous 
to his time has been able to keep it in the field as 
regularly as he has. The pa.per is growing dai- 
ly in popularity with the people. He has received 
all the opposition, from both old and young men, 
that a young man usually receives from those 
who are in the lead when he tries to come up with- 
out being pushed by the hands of these leaders. 
But he is yet alive and making headway. 

Rev. Eason is much like still water — he runs 
deep, but sure. I believe the hand of God is for 
him in whatever he puts his hands to. If God be 
for you, who can be against you ? He is now Cor- 
responding Secretary of the New Era State Con- 
vention, a convention that is destined to move 
the State. As an editor he has been heard on 
Lynch-law, the Negro problem and educational 
issues. His editorials have received the attention 



Sketch of Life and Labors. 



of race leaders, such as Prof. Booker T. Washing- 
ton and John Mitchell, Jr., editor of the Richmond 
Planet, Richmond, Va. He was suggested and 
recommended as minister to Liberia by the Immi- 
gration Club of Selma, Alabama, in 1896 or 1897. 

As an organizer Rev. Eason has gained some 
reputation. In 1895, when he took charge of the 
Leader, the Baptists had no press. The State 
said it did not have any money to buy one. He 
set to work to organize a company to purchase 
a press. Leaders were indifferent to the under- 
standing, and he had a hill to pull. The man- 
agement of the paper before it came to his hands 
had set the people against it, and this added 
to his troubles in getting a company. But he 
pushed on, and to-day the Leader is run off on a 
seven hundred dollar press belonging to the Cen- 
tral Printing Company. 

Some years ago Bro. Eason organized a Bibical 
Institute by correspondence, which is still in 
operation. Though he has not been in Anniston 
two years yet, he has organized and chartered the 
Excelsior Mercantile and Investment Company, 
of which he is President. It is now operating a 
store in the city, and will engage in buying homes 
for the people after it is a little farther along in 
business. A s a man he will find a way or make it. 

Rev. Eason's social nature is that of gentleness, 
and he is very entertaining — one would feel that 
he was in the presence of Socrates when in his 
company at times. Rev. Bacotesays; "His love 



Sketch of Life and Labors. 



for a friend is as strong as death, and when called 
to his defence, fights for him with that dauntless 
courage born only of despair/ ' He married Miss 
Phoebe A. Kigh, ofSelma, Ala., one of Alabama's 
best young women. Dr. C, J. Clark, who was 
superintendent of the city schools of Selma for 
more than twenty years, said that Miss Kigh 
was second to no teacher, white or colored. 

I would say more, but I know that my fair 
readers will see enough in what I have said of 
Rev. James Henry Eason to judge the fairness of 
his heart, and the consecration of his soul in 
the uplifting of his people and preaching the 
Gospel of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I 
hope all the young men who read these pages 
will catch an inspiration and seek but the harder 
to find the hidden treasures, such as the character 
of this sketch has done. 

Mrs. Alice A. Bowie, 

Anniston Normal and Industrial College, Annis- 
ton, Ala, 



INTRODUCTION. 



This is not intended to be an introduction of 
the author, but of his work. But how can we in- 
troduce the one without the other ? To speak of 
the merits of the work is but to lift high the au- 
thor's praises and elevate his name to a place 
among the leaders in the world of letters to-day. 
Nevertheless, I do not hesitate to do both. The 
author is well worthy of commendation, and the 
work of acceptation. 

Rev. J. H. Eason, D. D., the author of the fol- 
lowing treatise, is a son of poverty, yet a child of 
fortune. * There was no wealth of intellect back 
of him ; there was no mine of gold to his heritage. 
But there was an abundance of muscle and bone 
and sinew, to which he has fallen heir. For- 
tunate for him that he has received from his 
fathers a stock of health which has turned to his 
advantage throughout his eventful career. As a 
schoolboy, he was apt, industrious and independ- 
ent in his thinking. Selma University, his Alma 
Mater, was proud of him when he matriculated 
at Richmond Theological Seminary, and still 
prouder when he graduated from that institution 
with honor. His merit was recognized by his Al- 
ma Mater in calling him to the chair of Math- 

(9) 



10 Introduction. 



ematics as soon as lie graduated from Richmond. 
Six years he worked in that institution, during 
which time he was fitting himself, though unwit- 
tingly, for the work to which he is now devoted. 

Rev. Eason had an opportunity during these 
years to prove his call among three professions : 
teaching, preaching and journalism, all of which 
he tried during this period of time. But preach- 
ing held the balance of power. For more than 
one year he has been pastoring with telling effect 
in the city of Anniston, where he is loved and 
honored, and where because of earnestness of 
effort and loyalty of purpose and greatness of 
promise discovered in him, the degree of Doctor 
of Divinity was conferred upon him by the Gua- 
dalupe College, Seguin, Texas. 

It was during the days of busy pastoral life in 
Anniston that Dr. Eason came in contact with a 
sect of Christians claiming to have reached a 
state of sinless perfection. He chanced to meet a 
company of them at the home of one of his pa- 
rishoners one day, when they challenged him for 
an argument. He so completely vanquished them, 
that they confessed inferiority, and requested him 
to meet their minister. An appointment was 
made. They met. Their conversation, together 
with the attendant circumstances, may be seen in 
the treatise. 

Three things may be said about the work that 
will be apparent to every reader : 

It is simple. The author has not found that 



Introduction. 11 



his thoughts were so rarely profound or so pro- 
foundly rare that neither Webster nor Worcester 
could furnish the needed words to express them. 
And hence he had no need to coin words of his 
own. There are no. abtruse statements, no tech- 
nical expressions, no difficult arguments. The 
book is not prepared for the philosopher or the 
theologian, but for truth. Surely, the object has 
been accomplished. 

It is biblical. The author has not disregarded 
the " Thus saith the Lord." Every page is teem- 
ing with quotations and citations from the bles- 
sed Word. He has not sought to set up a stand- 
ard of his own, but has verily striven to find out 
the mind of God on the subject handled, and to 
make it known to man. The tendency of writers 
is to give too much credence to the opinions of 
men. We rejoice that the author has not drifted 
with the tide. 

It is logical. The writer has deduced no far- 
fetched conclusions. Given his major and minor 
premises, it seems that no other conclusion could 
be reached than that which he presents. The 
careful reader will draw his conclusions quite a 
while before he reaches them, because they are so 
evident. This is the book we want. This is the 
treatise we need upon a subject so variously 
taught as Sanctification : a simple book, a Bible 
book, a convincing book. 

Reader, I congratulate you upon the privilege 
of access to this inestimable little volume. Read 



12 Introduction. 



carefully its pages. Digest its thought. Follow 
its instruction. Seek to get others to do the 
same, and your blessing will not be delayed. 

May these pages fall into the hands of many, 
who, because of its teachings, shall renounce their 
lives of ungodliness and consecrate themselves to 
Christ. And thus the mission of this work will 
be accomplished. 

Fly, evangel, upon thy mission of love. Preach 
good tidings to the meek. Bind up the broken- 
hearted. Proclaim the acceptable year of the 
Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God. 

C. L. Fisher, 
Minister at Sixteenth Street Church, Birming- 
ham, Ala. 



PREFACE. 

He that has read a great volume on a subject 
delights to read a smaller work, the subject in a 
nutshell. He that reads a little work becomes 
thirsty and is led on to read a large work. Hence, 
little books are accepted by all classes of intelli- 
gent readers. I have spent some time in studying 
the subjects treated in this little book, and have 
been requested again and again to put addresses 
I have delivered on the subjects into print. But 
I have failed until now to do so, mainly be- 
cause I thought that there was enough printed on 
the subjects already, and that of a higher merit, 
too, than I could produce. But much urgency led 
me to think more upon the matter and to con- 
clude if my efforts pleased and benefited those to 
whom they were delivered, they might do others 
good. Filled with thought of doing good, we here 
ask you to read this little work, whose literary 
merits may not claim your attention, or may be 
far behind much you have read. 

In the part that treats of Sanctification all dis- 
play of rhetoric and pretension of learning have 
been guarded against. To arouse the Christian 
family to holiness and have them to refrain from 
fanaticism was my motive in setting forth these 

(13) 



14 Preface. 

thoughts on the subject. The addresses were not 
in the original plan of the book, but have been 
added at the suggestion of friends, "who thought 
they contained some useful views and inspira- 
tion and wholesome advice to the young people of 
the race. 

If I have said one thing in this volume that will 
help men to see the spiritual kingdom of Christ, 
or that will nerve my race in its fight for a man's 
chance in life, I shall feel fully paid for my labor. 
The belief that such a little volume as this can be 
of great service in the dissemination of informa- 
tion among the people is my only apology for 
putting it upon the market. I hope many a one 
may be aroused to a deeper search for truth by it, 
and be led to familiarize themselves with the vol- 
ume of truth and "wisdom — the Bible. 

J. H. Eason. 



CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Sketch of Life and Labors 1 

Introduction 9 

Preface 13 

PART l.-SANCTIFICATION vs. FANATICISM. 

Christ's Visible Church 17 

The Lodge and the Christian 20 

Sanctification 22 

Colloquy on Sanctification , 49 

Missions, the Maryel of the Age 59 

PART ll.-LECTURES. 

Individual Character a Force in the World 75 

Be Strong ; Show Thyself a Man 87 

Four by Four 105 



SALIFICATION ys. FANATICISM. 



CHRIST'S VISIBLE CHURCH-COR- 
RUPTED IN NAME AND 
MEANING. 



It is unfortunate that the free and gener- 
alized use of the word "Church" is being so 
often used in referring to Baptist churches 
as a whole. Baptists are not organized to- 
gether with a common earthly head which 
governs them as a whole. If they were, we 
could properly apply to them the secondary 
meaning of the word " Church/' which has 
come into our dictionaries through the long 
existence of organizations of many religious 
bodies into one government under an epis- 
copate. 

These organizations were set up by men 
hundreds of years after the death of the 
Apostles. They have caused the Church to 
corrupt its apostolic name and call itself 
the Baptist Church, instead of "The Church 
of Christ," the name by which it was 
called in the days of the Apostles. 

2 (17) 



18 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

Now, it seems that these great episcopal 
organizations are about to lead us into an- 
other error : namely, the using of " Church' ' 
in its secondary meaning, equivalent to 
and synonymous with denomination. This 
using of "Church" and " denomination" in- 
terchangeably is not only incorrect but 
wrong. 

It goes towards making equal in recogni- 
tion, formations and systems of men with 
that of Christy formed through the Apostles 
and recorded in the Scriptures; and that, too, 
when these doctrines of men are out of har- 
mony with the face and clear meaning of 
the Scriptures. When we say a Baptist 
Church — meaning a single body of baptized 
believers, etc., do we not indirectly say 
there is another Church? that there is more 
than one Church? that there is a Church of 
non-baptized believers (the Presbyterian, 
Methodist, etc.)? Does not this loose use 
of the word "Church," and the unscrip- 
tural use of the word "Baptist," go toward 
making the world consistent when it rea- 
sons that all religious organizations are 
right; that John Wesley's Society and Paul's 
organization of Christians are the same 



Christ's Visible Church. 19 

and equal? They are both churches, they 
say ; they are only named differently, just 
as the same pea is called both "peanut" 
and "goober." But this is not true in the 
case of religious organizations in the world 
to-day. They differ more than in name ; 
they differ in principles. There is but one 
Church. Its form and type is given in the 
New Testament. 

Let every believer examine the creed of 
the organization to which he belongs in 
the light of divine writ. Some of the creeds 
will be found after the pattern of the New 
Testament type, and some not after it. Some 
of them that are after the pattern may be 
found full of imperfections and defects. 

Let us keep our eyes on the model and 
measure our work often, lest we stray from 
the pattern. Let God's pattern be pre- 
served. Oh, good people, let God be true, 
if all men have to be made liars! 



THE LODGE AND THE CHRISTIAN. 



The nature of man requires perfection in 
its object of worship. The multiplicity of 
gods among the heathen is an outgrowth 
of this fact. When the pagans found not 
perfection in any object of nature they made 
themselves a god with their own hands; 
but man is imperfect, and since the thing 
made cannot be greater than its maker, this 
god was imperfect. Hence, they made an- 
other god which they considered as being 
more perfect than the first or a complement 
ofit. 

Human institutions for making people 
better have multiplied all over this world, 
reaching after perfection ; and yet the aver- 
age man will tell you the world is in a worse 
fix to-day than it has ever been. It would 
seem that the societies, lodges and orders 
have increased imperfection in their efforts 
for perfection. This is what we might ex- 

(20) 



The Lodge and the Christian. 21 

pect, when we remember that man is imper- 
fect, and hence his lodge must be more im- 
perfect than he is, and the next more imper- 
fect than the first, and so on. Do you say 
the Church is not equal to its founders ? 
that it is not perfect? We answer, we are 
assured it will be perfect some of these days. 
It will be like its Maker or Founder, with- 
out "spot" or "blemish." (Eph. 5:27.) Can 
you hope any such thing for your lodge? If 
it should become like its maker it would be 
imperfect because he is imperfect. Lodges 
and secret orders are no place for God's 
beloved. This is true, brethren, though 
you may love them ever so well. They are 
against the best interests of the Church. 
But you tell us you are based upon the Bi- 
ble; therefore, religious in your nature. 
That makes the case worse — a religious in- 
stitution composed of Saints, Baptists, 
Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregation- 
alists, Catholics, and sinners ! What a con- 
glomeration! What an abomination! When 
will God bring His Church to be without 
spot or wrinkle? It will not be until you 
come out of those lodges, brethren. You 
are delaying themillenium. 



SANCTIFICATION. 



"Husbands, love your wives, even as 
Christ also loved the church, and gave him- 
self for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse 
it with the washing of water -by the word, 
that he might present it to himself a glo- 
rious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, 
or any such thing; but that it should be 
holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5: 
25-27.) 

The great agitation that I found on com- 
ing to your city a few days ago, which con- 
tinues to stir the town, has led us to invite 
you here to-night to listen to a discourse on 
Sanctification. I come not to defend the 
church or what is called orthodoxy, nor to 
offer an apology for the seeming if not real 
diversion therefrom ; but to deliver a dis- 
course on the subject from God's word. 
Ephesians 5: 25-27, will form the basis of 
our effort on this occasion. Christ and his 

church are brought before us in this passage. 
(22; 



Sanctification. 23 



AT WORK FOR HIS CHURCH. 

Christ is presented first as at work for 
his Church, his called people, his invisible 
Kingdom. He gave himself for it. Through 
the law came death and man began to die. 
Sin took advantage of the law to work all 
manner of concupiscence in man ; thus mak- 
ing the law that was ordained unto life, the 
occasion and instrument of death. All men 
sinned and came short of the glory of God 
— thev broke the law and came unto the con- 
demnation of the law, even the penalty of 
death. But Christ loved his Church and 
drew on the divine wisdom to contrive a 
way of escape for it. He went on its bond 
until the day of execution. 

In devising a plan of redemption, two 
things confronted the divine mind; the mend- 
ing of the broken law, and the keeping of 
the law by man after it was mended. The 
law through which sin had taken occasion 
to make deprave the human heart, had 
proven too weak to bring the flesh, the car- 
nal mind, subject to the will of God. "When 
the commandment came, I died," says 
Paul. "For I was alive without the law 
once: but when the commandment came, 



24 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

sin revived, and I died. And the command- 
ment, which was ordained to life, I found 
to be unto death." (Rom. 7: 9, 10.) 

The question is, How shall life be restored? 
If death came by or through the law, then 
if the law be destroyed, would not it give 
occasion for life ? To illustrate : If a law is 
made that no child that has rebelled against 
his father shall have any of his father's es- 
tate, and John is deprived of property by 
that law — if the law- is abolished the prop- 
erty of which he was deprived would come 
to him. Hence the doing away with the 
law restored what making the law had 
been the means of taking away. But the 
commandment is good; ordained unto life. 
"And the commandment, which was or- 
dained to life, I found to be unto death." 
(Rom. 7: 10.) It cannot be destroyed; it is 
a part of God. Its honor must be sustained. 
Hence came the penalty of death, "even the 
death of the cross." The plan called for his 
own death to save his Church. When the 
day of execution came, he answered for his 
church and ascended the scaffold. The 
spotless lamb was laid upon the altar — He 
who knew no sin was made sin for us. 



Sanctiiica tion . 2 5 



The smoke that ascends pleases God and 
reconciles him toward man ; changes his re- 
lation to man, leaving him free to exercise 
the love in his heart for man for his salva- 
tion. "Whom God hath set forth to be a 
propitiation through faith in his blood, to 
declare his righteousness for the remission 
of sins that are past, through the forbear- 
ance of God ; to declare, I say, at this time 
his righteousness : that he might be just, 
and the justifier of him which believe th in 
Jesus. " (Rom. 3: 25, 26.) He removes his 
people from under law under grace. "For 
sin shall not have dominion over you : for 
ye are not under the law, but under 
grace." (Rom. 6 : 14). 

REGENERATION. 

He enters into them and works in them 
the keeping of the law to the giving of lib- 
erty. "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but 
every man a liar; as it is written, That thou 
mightest be justified in thy sayings, and 
mightest overcome when thou art judged." 
(Rom. 3:4.) Christ taking his seat in our 
heart produces a change which brings us 
into him, giving us his nature, his character 



26 Sanctitication vs. Fanaticism. 

and affections, thus making us new crea- 
tures. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, 
he is a new creature : old things are passed 
aw ay ; behold, all things are become new." 
(2 Cor. 5: 17.) This is regeneration, the 
hearing of Faith of the Gospel. 

This is the force of our text when it says, 
in the language of the Revised Version, 
i 'Having cleansed it by the washing of wa- 
ter with the word." Christ is preached to 
the elect ; they accept it to the changing of 
the nature of their minds unto a spiritual 
mind — a mind subject to the law of God. 

HOLINESS IN REGENERATION. 

These that receive Christ are holy, be- 
cause they are born of God. That which 
is born of God is holy because He is holy — 
hence, every regenerated man is holy. "But 
as many as received him, to them gave he 
power to become the sons of God, even to 
them that believe on his name : which were 
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the 
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 
(John 1 : 12, 13.) Titus 3: 5, says "He saved 
us, by the washing of regeneration, and the 
renewing of the Holy Ghost.' ' 

We are sanctified. 



Sanctifica tion . 2 7 



MEANING OF THE WORD SANCTIFY. 

Synonymous with the word holy, the 
word sanctify is used; it is defined to sep- 
arate, consecrate, cleanse, purify, to regard 
as holy. When a man was set apart to a 
certain and special work among the Jews 
under the old covenant, he was sanctified ; 
his being set apart was the sanctification. 
Vessels used exclusively in the people's 
services unto the Lord were thus looked 
upon. "And God blessed the seventh day, 
and sanctified it : because that in it he had 
rested from all his work which God created 
and made." (Gen. 2:3.) "Sanctify unto 
me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth 
the womb among the children, * * both of 
man and of beast : it is mine." (Ex. 13 : 2.) 
"And this is the thing that thou shalt do 
unto them to hallow them, to minister 
unto me in the priest's office : take one 
young bullock, and two rams without blem- 
ish." (Ex. 29:1.) "And thou shalt gird 
them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and 
put the bonnets on them: and the priest's 
office shall be theirs for a perpetual stat- 
ute : and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and 
his sons." (Ex. 29: 9.) "And thou shalt 



28 SanctiAcation vs. Fanaticism. 

sanctify the breast of the wave offering, 
and the shoulder of the heave offering, which 
is waved, and which is heaved up, of the 
ram of the consecration, even of that which 
is for Aaron, and of that which is for his 
sons." (Ex. 29 : 27.) "And they shalt eat 
those things wherewith the atonement 
was made, to consecrate and to sanctify 
them ; but a stranger shall not eat thereof, 
because they are holy." (Ex. 29 : 33.) 
"And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of 
the congregation therewith, and the ark of 
the testimony, and the table and all his 
vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, 
and the altar of incense, and the altar of 
burnt offering with all his vessels, and the 
laver and his foot. And thou shalt sanc- 
tify them, that they may be most holy : 
whatsoever touched them shall be holy. 
And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, 
and consecrate them, that they may minis- 
ter unto me in the priest's office." (Ex.- 
30:26-30.) 

These meanings are incidental in our 
text. The idea uppermost in the Apostle's 
mind, evidently, was to make clean, to pu- 
rify — not a ceremonial cleansing, but a real 



Sanctification. 29 



cleansing — a renewing in the spirit, the form- 
ing fully in the soul, Christ, "the hope of 
glory in us. " The words "cleanse," "spot," 
"wrinkle" and "blemish," used in this con- 
nection are in line with this view. 

AT WORK IN HIS CHURCH. 

Christ's work does not stop in the atone- 
ment, nor in the work of regeneration ; he 
continues to sanctify. The holiness he 
gives in regeneration appears to be prin- 
ciples — hence in seed form. 

Being called out of the world into holy 
service, seems to be an important part of 
our sanctification in regeneration. 

In 2 Peter 3: 18, we read, "But grow in 
grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ;" Eph. 2: 21: "In 
whom all the building fitly framed together 
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." 
There would be no place for these passages 
if a person were completely sanctified in re- 
generation. 2 Tim. 1 : 9 also supports the 
view of regeneration stated above. It reads, 
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an 
holy calling, not according to our works, 
but according to his own purpose and grace, 
which was given us in Christ Jesus before 



30 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

the world began.' ' This shows that we 
are called out of the world unto God. 
Called out of the world, in regeneration, 
we became Christ's disciples. He takes us 
into an experience something similar to 
that experience by a young man entering 
an institution of learning. The end of this 
experience is the development of the prin- 
ciples of holiness planted in regeneration, 
which is sanctification. It is clear, then, 
that sanctification as distinguished from 
regeneration, is regeneration full grown. 
It is a separation from all sin ; it is conse- 
cration to Christ, being holy without 
blemish. Christ is at work in the soul 
of every regenerated person, bringing about 
this delightful state. 

THE STATE OR LIFE POSSIBLE. 

That such a state is possible is implied 
in our text. Christ died that he might 
bring us to it. glorious thought ! " Be- 
hold," he said, "I bleed and die, to bring 
you to my rest." To-day he is in his 
Church, knocking at every door, with ten 
thousands blessings in his hand to sat- 
isfy the poor. In sin we are run, beaten, 
tormented and harassed ; in Christ we 



Sanctification. 31 



have rest. Sin is the devil, bondage, con- 
demnation, sorrow, guilt, darkness and 
distress ; holiness is Christ, liberty, joy, 
light and gladness. It is the satisfaction 
of the poor ; it makes them truthfully sing 
from the depth of their heart: " Yon may 
have all this world ; but give me Jesus ; " 
while the rich fret over riches and pull their 
hair out about loss of wealth. 

SIN NOT NECESSARY FROM REGENERATION 
TO SANCTIFICATION. 

How far from conversion is this state of 
rest, non-anxiety, and peace ? How far on 
the way are you, dear hearers? The all- 
important question arises here, What are 
we after conversion until we are sanctified 
— completely holy ? Are we sinners ? Must 
we necessarily commit sin between these 
points ? In other words, is it possible for 
a Christian to live from his conversion or 
regeneration to sanctification without do- 
ing what he knows to be wrong, unless he 
dies soon after he is converted? 

The Bible, nowhere, as I can understand, 
says he can't. I repeat, the Bible no- 
where says that it is necessary to break a 
single commandment after you are regener- 



32 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

ated while you live. Note the words : 
"Without doing what he knows to be 
wrong. " The emphasis is on "knows to 
be wrong." 

When you came from the valley fresh 
with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, with 
the love of God aglow in your bosom, 
would you have done what you knew was 
wrong? Did you talk about and abuse 
your neighbor and seek to kill your enemy 
the day you were converted? No. Who 
kept you from it ? If Christ can keep you 
from it a day, can't he keep you from it a 
week, a month, a year, a life time ? If he 
cannot, our salvation is not sure. He came 
to save me from sin. If he can't save me 
here, how can he save me hereafter. 
If the devil can outdo him here, it may 
be he will outdo him in death. But how 
often do you shout and cry : "Our Captain is 
sufficient — he has never lost a battle, he 
bled and died, chained death to his char- 
riot wheel and dragged down the powers of 
hell, being filled with rapture and over- 
shadowed with the power of the Holy 
Ghost !" What Christian is it, that would 
commit sin in these seasons of refreshing ? 



Sanctiiication. 33 



The devil has no power over one in this 
condition. This is another proof that a 
state of separation from sin is possible in 
this world. It is obtained by keeping 
yourself in the spirit; which is possible 
through God, with whom all things are 
possible. (Matt. 19 : 26.) Such a state 
is all of sanctification attainable on this 
earth. But you say we are weak. That 
is true ; but God is strong. He is faithful 
to help you. See the Scripture : i 'There 
hath no temptation taken you but such as 
is common to man : but God is faithful, 
who will not suffer you to be tempted 
above that ye are able ; but will with the 
temptation also make a way to escape, 
that ye may be able to bear it." 

IS THE HOLY LIFE PROBABLE ? IS IT RE- 
QUIRED ? 

But everything that is possible is not 
probable. It is possible for the sun not to 
rise to-morrow ; but is it probable that it 
will not rise ? It is possible for Anniston to 
be as big as New York in the next twenty 
years, but it is not probable that it will be. 
A holy life is possible. Is it probable ? 

There is a question that arises in this con- 

3 



34 Sanctitication vs. Fanaticism. 

nection that is more important than all 
that has been asked, namely, Is the holy life 
required of the Christian ? 

The probability of a holy life would make 
us expect to see at some time and in some 
person what is possible to exist. We may 
look for it with indifference, but if it is re- 
quired, we are no longer indifferent ; we be- 
come anxious about the holy life and the ex- 
periencing it in our own lives : The all-ab- 
sorbing inquiry, then, is not "Is it possi- 
ble, " " Is it probable; " but "Is it required?' ' 

Let us turn to the Scriptures for data and 
testimony. 

THE FRUIT OF A SERVANT OF GOD FAVORS HO- 
LINESS IN LIFE. 

"But now being made free from sin, and 
become servants to God, ye have your fruit 
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." 
(Rom. 6: 22.) 

WE ARE COMMANDED TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT 
AND HAVE ITS JOY. 

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye 
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.' ' (Gal.- 
5: 16.) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 
joy, peace, long-suffering." (Gal. 5: 22.) 
Rom. 8:9, 10 tells of ideal Christianity. 



Sanctification. 35 



"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the 
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell 
in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit 
of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be 
in you, the body is dead because of sin; but 
the Spirit is life because of righteousness.' ' 

THE ARMOR. 

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the 
Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on 
the whole armour of God, that ye may be 
able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 
but against principalities, against powers, 
against the rulers of the darkness of this 
world, against spiritual wickedness in high 
places. Wherefore take unto you the whole 
armour of God, that ye may be able to with- 
stand in the evil day, and having done all, 
to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins 
girded about with truth, and having on the 
breastplate of righteousness ; and your feet 
shod with the preparation of the gospel of 
peace ; above all, taking the shield of faith, 
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the 
fiery darts of the wicked. And take the hel- 
met of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, 
which is the word of God : praying a Ways 



36 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

with all prayer and supplication in the 
Spirit, and watching thereunto with all per- 
severance and supplication for all saints." 
(Eph. 6: 10-18.) 

THE WARNING AGAINST WILFUL SIN IS TESTI- 
MONY IN FAVOR OF A HOLY LIFE 
BEING REQUIRED. 

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have 
received the knowledge of the truth, there 
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." "Of 
how much sorer punishment, suppose 
ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath 
trodden under foot the Son of God, and 
hath counted the blood of the covenant 
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy 
thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit 
of grace?" (Heb. 10: 26, 29.) 

HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST. 

"For who hath known the mind of the 
Lord, that he may instruct him? But we 
have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2: 16.) 
Christ's, mind is holy. 

NOTE THE LOVE OF GOD PERFECTED. 

"And every man that hath this hope in 
him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 
(1 John 3: 3.) 



SanctiAcation. 37 



CHRIST THE SPIRIT. 

"Now the Lord is that Spirit : and where 
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 
But we all, with open face beholding as in a 
glass the glory of the Lord are changed 
into the same image from glory to glory, 
even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 
3: 17,180 

KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS J CONDITIONS 
OE KNOWING HIS WIEE. 

"At that day ye shall know that I am in 
my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." 
(John 14: 20.) 

HOEY RELIGION. 

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with 
Christ in God. When Christ, who is our 
life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear 
with him in glory " (Col. 3:3, 4.) 

Whatever may be claimed to be the 
teachings of these passages, their testimony 
on the question now in hand is very conclu- 
sive; that the religion of Jesus Christ is holy, 
and requires holiness in its adherents, is an 
unbiased, comprehensive, spirit-forced logic- 
approved and soul-sanctioned conclusion 
from these passages. Whether we live it or 
not, we must concede the truth. 



38 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

HAVE ALL THOSE THAT THE LORD HAS REC- 
OGNIZED AS CHRISTIANS LIVED THIS LIFE ? 

But if we don't live that life, have we the 
religion of Christ — do we belong to his Holy 
Kingdom ? If we commit a single act of 
sin, are we Christians ? Has God ever rec- 
ognized such as Christians ? See the Scrip- 
ture. 

NOT PERFECT ; CARNAL-MINDED. 

"And. I, brethren, could not speak unto 
you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, 
even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed 
you with milk, and not with meat: for 
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither 
yet now are ye able." (1. Cor. 3 : 1-3.) 

Note these carnal-minded people were ad- 
dressed as brethren. 

HOLY RELIGION AND PROBABLE ACTS OF SIN. 

4 'For ye are dead, and your life is hid 
with Christ in God. When Christ, who is 
our life, shall appear, then shall ye also ap- 
pear with him in glory. Mortify therefore 
your members which are upon the earth ; 
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affec- 
tion, evil concupisence, and covet ousness, 
.which is idolatry : * * * But now ye also 



SanctijScation. 39 



put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, 
blasphemy, filthy communication out of 
your mouth. Lie not one to another, see- 
ing that you have put off the old man with 
his deeds. * * * Forbearing one another, 
and forgiving one another, if any man 
have a quarrel against any : even as Christ 
forgave you, so also do ye. * * * Let the 
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all 
wisdom ; teaching and admonishing one 
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual 
songs, singing with grace in your hearts to 
the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word 
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father 
by him." (Col. 3 : 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 16, 17.) 
This caution against fornication, lying 
and quarreling may be reasonably consid- 
ered evidence of their existence or the pos- 
sibility of their existence among those 
whose life was hid with Christ, and of 
being committed by them. 

DEBTS AND DEBTORS. 

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive 
our debtors. v (Matt. 6 : 12. ) If this is a 
model prayer for Christ's disciples for all 



40 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

time, places, and stages of their existence in 
tliis world, does it not show and anticipate 
sin in some sense from which we will not 
be separated in this world ? 

Paul in Ephesians 4 : 32, presupposes sin, 
and says, " Forgive one another as God 
forgave you." "If we say that we have 
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, 
we lie, and do not the truth : but if Ave 
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we 
have fellowship one with another, and the 
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us 
from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, 
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in 
us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and 
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse 
us from all unrighteousness. If we say that 
^ve have not sinned, we make him a liar, and 
his word is not in us." (1 John, 1: 6-10.) 

" My little children, these things write I 
unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man 
sin, Ave have an advocate with the Father, 
Jesus Christ, the righteous." (1 John, 2: 1.) 

"Whosoever is born of God doth not 
commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him : 
and he cannot sin, because he is born of 
God." (1 John 3: 9.) 



Sanctification. 41 



Over these passages Christian friends 
have fallen out. They have divided the 
Christian world into two great divisions ; 
they have been the occasion of several dog- 
mas widely different; they are the ground 
where Christians every where else united, 
divide and lift their muskets. 

Sects have arisen, having them as a center 
that represent the most extreme opposite 
position — one teaching that a man can live 
a life of sin and get to heaven or be a 
Christian ; and the other that he can't com- 
mit one sin and be born of God ; that is, if 
he is a child of God. I feel that if I wished 
to support either sect to-night, I could find 
a plenty of passages of Scripture to form a 
defense. 

We think it is a pity that the armies 
of Christ should feel themselves called upon 
to turn their guns off the enemy, the world, 
to fight one another. Unity is what we 
want. Feeling the effort of either of these 
sects to fight the other in line will be a 
failure. If I can say a word that will tend 
to harmonize the points of difference and 
lead the host to unite on the unquestion- 
able principles of the Kingdom, I will do 



42 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

God better service than I would in defend- 
ing any sect. We must leave some things 
to be known or learned in heaven. 

THE BIBEE ! THE BIBEE ! 

Let us accept of it plain and simple. If 
it says we do commit sin there must be a 
sense in which we do; if it saj r s we do not, 
there must be a sense in which we do not. 
We have no more right, it seems to me, to 
accept 1 John 1:8, at the exclusion of 
1 John 3:9, and explain the other part of 
the Bible to support that position, than 
we have to accept 1 John 3:9,- and support 
an opposite dogma. What shall we do 
then ? Find the sense under God in which 
they are both true and in harmony with 
each other. 

Let us see now. In the first chapter of 
John, the Apostle discusses, first, a course 
in life ; hence he says, "Walk in darkness" — 
meaning acting wrong repeatedly, one act 
right after another, just as we take one 
step after the other, thus living in a sinful 
state of heart. But the most careful will 
make a misstep sometimes.. What is true in 
our physical movement, John recognizes in 
our spiritual progress, and says in the 8th 



Sanctification. 43 



verse, "If we say that we have no sin, we 
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in 
us." In other words, our notion is false. 
These missteps and stumbles in our spiritual 
life are due evidently to our infirmities 
and limited knowledge. It is missing the 
mark ; though we intended to hit it. 

After telling about these occasional 
blunders we shall make and how we should 
be forgiven, the Apostle turns and takes 
up again the idea of a course in life. In the 
3rd chapter he has developed it to the tak- 
ing in of the intention. This is clear from 
verses 3 and 12 of the chapter. When a 
man purifies himself, the will, the intention 
enters into the act. The 12th verse states 
that Cain intentionally killed his brother ; 
hence, was guilty of murder. Therefore, 
when the Apostle says, "Whosoever is born 
of God doth not commit sin," the inten- 
tional, the deep heart purposing and sanc- 
tioning idea was uppermost in his mind. 
He does not mean that a Christian will 
not miss the mark — that is, aim to do right 
and miss and do wrong. He does not 
mean to contradict himself in what he said 
in the first chapter, where he says we do 



44 Sanctihcation vs. Fanaticism. 

sin ; but he means to emphasize that our 
sins are misjudgrnents. With this interpre- 
tation, there is no conflict in the passages. 
The one that says we do not sin, taking in 
the intention, is not out of harmony with 
the one that says we do sin, having refer- 
ence to a now and then doing wrong unin- 
tentionally. Holy Paul did wrong in that 
sense. (2 Cor. 12 : 13.) I feel I have this 
interpretation of the Spirit who searches 
the deep things of God. Glory to God ! 
Thy judgments are true and righteous alto- 
gether. We are all sinners. We all do 
wrong. Many of those who claim sancti- 
hcation, and who, perhaps, have attained 
to not doing anything they know to be 
wrong, admit they make mistakes. 0, my 
brother, that is just another way of saying 
the same thing we say. The Bible does 
not say mistakes, it says sin; let us say so, 
too. We will not be any less holy by let- 
ting it go as the Bible puts it. 

SANCTIFICATION AND PERFECTION NOT THE 

SAME. 

But you say, Mr. Preacher, "The Lord 
says be ye perfect. " Does that not mean 
sanctified ? Yes. But sanctification is not 



Sanctification. 45 



equal to perfection. Sanctification is living 
up to the light you have or can acquire 
through the Holy Spirit. "That is right, 
and he promised to guide us into all truth/ ' 
But this all is evidently limited with re- 
gards to the weakness of humanity and the 
wise dispensation of grace. If this all 
means all kinds of truth or knowledge, it 
certainly does not mean all of all the kinds 
of knowledge. Christ on this earth was 
subjected to the limitation of humanity and 
thus limited ; he did not know all things. 
He said, himself, the Son knows not the 
day and hour. (Mark 13:32.) Perfec- 
tion in any other sense will have to include 
the knowing of all things. In that sense 
there is not a perfect man. Do not de- 
ceive yourselves in this matter. 

In conclusion, let us make stand out in 
bold outlines the picture of Jesus sanctifiying 
his Church. It is possible, it is probable, 
the Holy Kingdom requires it. He has par- 
don for our shortcomings and strength for 
our weakness ; condemnation for our sins 
and joy for our obedience. The Kingdom is 
not meat and drink ; but joy, righteous- 
ness and peace. To fill the lives of his 



46 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

children with blessed grace, He is standing 
at the door of their hearts knocking. Oh, 
let him in ! He has entered us in regenera- 
tion, dear beloved, but our salvation is not 
an actual fact until he enters us in sanctifi- 
cation — in other words, cleanses us from be- 
setting sins. It may be sure, but it is not 
real ; because Jesus came to save us from 
our sins — not to let us stay in our sins 
and save us from their condemnation and 
penalty , but from the sin. Let him in ; He 
is qualified in wisdom and power to save 
you. 

Dr. Johnson sacrificed his time, his pleas- 
ure and money to be able to heal a body ; 
Jesus gave more, he gave his life. He min- 
gled cordial for every sin-sick soul. His 
preparation will take out every spot. Let 
him in ! He will make straight your 
crooked life and wrinkled garments. Let 
him in, and he will stop you from lying ; he 
will take away your carnal mind. Let him 
in, and he will make you love your wife, 
and not seek to put her away on the letter 
of the law without regard to the spirit of 
the law ; he will inspire you to present her 
to yourself holy, without a blemish ; he will 



Sanctifxca tion . 47 



sanctify the wife to her husband. Let him 
in, and he will work in you to will and to 
do. He will fill you with power and glory. 
do not let the Spirit depart, he is Christ's 
presence. Hear, sinner, and be wise and 
do not let the Spirit depart. We can't live 
in sin and feel a Saviour's love. What will 
be the consequence if I do not live a holy 
life ? Punishment, sadness, sorrow, misery 
and death. The Christian trespasses — acts 
of sin, bring their consequence in chastise- 
ment, distress, bitter tears and sore afflic- 
tion ; the consequence of a life of sin is death, 
final destruction. It makes no difference 
whether the party that lives belongs to 
lodge or to the church or does not belong 
to either ; the result will be the same. The 
wages of sin is death ; but sanctification is 
life. Be not deceived, my friends. What 
you sow, that you shall reap. Let us sow 
to the Spirit and reap life — eternal life. 
God saves us all ! Oh, for the day when 
Christ has finished dressing the church ; 
when there will be no more heart-aches ; 
yes, when the groom shall take his bride, 
"decked in garments of righteousness, with- 
out a defect in her form or a wrinkle in her 



48 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

face, unto himself in his building not made 
with hands. There angels shall wait 
upon her, while the brightness of his glory 
will light up the city. His praise shall be 
on every lip. Glory ! Hallelujah ! Let all 
prepare to meet him. 

"Nearer, my God, to thee, 

Nearer to thee ; 

E'en though it be a cross 

That raiseth me, 

Still all by my song shall be, 

Nearer, my God, to thee, 

Nearer to thee!" 



COLLOQUY ON SANCTIFICATION. 



Mrs. C. "You are very good ; but you 
ought to be sanctified." 

Mr. E. "What do you mean by that ?" 
Mrs. C. "Why, receive the Holy Ghost." 
Mr. E. "I have received the Holy Ghost." 
Mrs. C. "No, you have not." 
Mr. E. "How do you know I have not?" 
Mrs. C. "Because you sin. You are re- 
generated, but not sanctified." 

Mr. E. "We received the Holy Spirit in 
regeneration." 

Mrs. C. "No, the Apostles were regen- 
erated, but they did not receive the Holy 
Ghost until the Day of Pentecost." 

Mr. E. "How is regeneration brought 
about ? Can any one but God regenerate? 
Did not Christ give the whole salvation of 
men in the hands of the Holy Spirit when 
he left here ? (John 1 : 12, 13 ; 3 : 5, 6 ; 14 : 
16, 25.) In John 14 : 16, you will notice 
it says, ' another Comforter.' This sug- 

~4 (49) 



50 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

gests that they had a Comforter before 
the Spirit. Who was it ? If they had a 
Comforter before the Day of Pentecost, 
that Comforter, most assuredly, did for 
them what the Spirit now does. Hence it 
regenerated them. But who was this Com- 
forter ? It was Christ himself in person ; 
the Comforter now is He in the person of 
the Holy Spirit. In other words the Spirit 
as a Comforter is Christ's presence in the 
world. (2 Cor. 3 : 17, 18.) Again, if you 
could prove that the disciples were regen- 
erated without the Spirit, it would not say 
that men are so regenerated to-day, since 
the dispensation of grace has been intrusted 
in the hand of the Spirit. " 

Mrs. C. "Well, I know I don't know as 
much Scripture as you — I heard of you as 
a ' Bible-learnt' man before you came. I 
can't hold an argument with you ; but you 
come and meet our men." 

Mr. E. "All right, I will be pleased to 
meet them. Only let them argue fairly. 
They must not insist on the letter in one 
passage and on the spirit in a parallel pas- 
sage ; that will end the discussion with 
me." 



Colloquy on Sanctification. 51 

Mrs. C. "Brothers D. and N. are here." 

Mr. E. "All right, brethren. A discus- 
sion with Sister C. in which I held that the 
Holy Ghost was received in regeneration, 
which she denied, is the cause of our meet- 
ing to-day.' ' 

Bro. N. "No ; the Spirit is not received 
in regeneration." 

Mr. E. "What do you call regeneration ?" 

Bro. N. "It is the pardoning of sins. 
Before man sinned he was innocent and this 
innocency was life. Sin brought man unto 
condemnation, which is death. When he 
is forgiven, he becomes innocent again, just 
as when he was an infant babe." 

Mr. E. "What about the sin that come 
to one through Adam?" 

Bro. N. "That is not touched in regen- 
eration : it only deals with the sins a man 
actually commits." (Matt. 18: 3; Col. 
2:13; 1 Cor. 3:1-4.) 

Mr. E. "Gentlemen, your theory of re- 
generation is beautiful, if not conclusive. I 
cannot concede it to be the truth now. I 
shall ask the time to examine it further." 

Bro. N. "You will not find anything to 
condemn it in the Bible." 



52 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

Mr. E. "As I read Matthew 18, it be- 
comes clear that the likeness to a child here 
is not that of innocency, but humility 
(verse 4). This is a defect in your scheme 
right away. The 'quicken' in Colossians 
2: 13, means a life with Jesus. Now, is it 
reasonable that a life with Christ will 
be one in which a carnal nature really ex- 
ists undisturbed. The word ' quicken' here, 
in the original, conveys the idea of a life 
with him, in the sense of having a life like 
another. It seems that passage, 1 Corin- 
thians 3 : 1-4, interpreted in harmony with 
Colossians 2 : 13, would mean that while 
the principles of carnality had been de- 
stroyed in the heart, the ignorance of the 
deeper things of the Spirit still keeps them 
(the Christians) delighting in things of the 
world, just as a child would do things when 
it was a babe that it would not do when it 
had grown and learned more sense and had 
become intelligent. Your theory does not 
satisfy the soul. I still feel that the Holy 
Spirit comes in regeneration. If it does 
not, then it seems John 3:5 is without 
meaning or very confused in meaning." 



Colloquy on Sanjctification. 53 

Bro. N. "Yes, the Spirit comes in regen- 
eration, but he does not come as a sancti- 
fying Spirit — that is, the Spirit in regenera- 
tion is not the Spirit in sanctification." 

Mr. E. "You have admitted that the 
Spirit is in regeneration — that is all I 
held. I am through with that part of the 
discussion.' ' 

Bro. N. "The sanctification we hold is 
that God the Spirit enters us and takes out 
our carnal nature, so we will not commit 
sin, because the seed of sin is taken out of 
us." (Luke 24 : 49 ; John 14 : 15, 16 ; Acts 
2; Romans 15:16; Acts 15:8.) 

Mr. E. "It is clear that the Spirit does 
cleanse, but it seems His special work on 
the Apostles was the giving of boldness 
and power, making their words effective. 
'Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye 
be endued with power from on high.' 
(Luke 24 : 49.) How is this sanctification 
— separation from sin — brought about ? Is 
it a growth ? " 

Bro. N. "No ; it is an act — an act distinct 
from the act of regeneration. It gives 
spiritual enlightenment, which enables us to 
know and do God's will." 



54 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

Mr. E. "What objection have you to 
saying it (sanctification) consists of a 
series of acts? " 

Bro. N. "The Bible nowhere teaches 
that it is a series of acts.' ' 

Mr. E. "The passage you quote from, 
Acts 8: 14-19, does seem to support your 
view — sanctification a single act ; but that 
passage is exceptional— no other passage 
you have quoted, is like it. The idea in 
John 7 : 38, 39 ; 14 : 17 is that of Christ pre- 
senting himself to his people in the Holy 
Spirit as distinguished from the way he had 
been with them before, and hence may have 
chief reference to the Spirit computed to us 
— set apart to be Christ's presence with us 
(verse 18), which may be appropriated, or 
made a part of us, in a single act or in 
several acts, just as divine wisdom might 
dictate (see Acts 15th chapter). Peter says 
the Gentiles received the Holy Ghost just 
like the Apostles (8th verse) ; yet he advised 
writing unto them to abstain from pollu- 
tions ; and Paul and Barnabas had sharp 
contentions themselves (verses 38-40). 
Here it seems that the sanctifying power was 
appropriated to believers as they increased 



Colloquy on SanctiAcation. 55 

in the knowledge of the Word, which does 
not support the single act theory -without 
an exception." 

Bro. D. "But you can't see these things 
because you have not been enlightened. M 

Mr. E. "That may be true. You who 
are endowed with power ought to make me 
see. I am certainly seeking the truth. I don't 
doubt that God can save us from sin ; can 
cleanse us with one act. He could have made 
a world without sin, but he did not do it; 
though it would have seemed a Holy being 
as he would have done so. It is a little un- 
natural for a holy being to make an unholy 
thing ; but such is the world made by Jeho- 
vah. What God does and says, not what 
he can do and say, is what I want to know. 

"If your idea of regeneration is right, your 
doctrine that a man can be lost after he is 
regenerated would naturally follow; but 
since your theory of regeneration rests on 
doubtful meanings of passages of Scripture, 
your falling from grace doctrine is at least 
debatable. (See Philemon 1 : 6 ; 2 Timothy 
1:12; Isaiah 53 : 4-12 ; Hebrew 10 : 18 ; John 
10: 28, 29; Romans 4:5; Matthew 18:12- 
14.) These passages make it sure that the 



56 SanctiAcation vs. Fanaticism. 

final destruction of a regenerated person is 
not probable, if it be possible. 

"Your objection to naming local organiza- 
tions seems not to be worth much. We 
know that Christ's church is spiritual; but 
we know also that He recognizes local as- 
semblies of his universal Church or his King- 
dom. To name a certain assembly, Jerusa- 
lem Church, does not interfere with the one- 
ness of the church any more than it does 
to name a distinct portion of the ocean, 
Atlantic, and another Pacific ; they are all 
one body of water. Christ recognizes or- 
ganizations (see Acts 14: 23). Appointing 
officers makes and recognizes organization 
in church. The directions for excluding a 
member in Matthew 18, recognizes local 
organizations. Every organization is not a 
church ; but that organization that consists 
of the principles that characterize the Apos- 
tolic church, is a church, whatever its name 
may be ; whether it has a roll of its mem- 
bers or not. There is nothing in the Bible 
that says the churches did not have a roll 
of all their members. 

"Such passages as Galatians 6:1; Ro- 
mans 16: 1, 4, 16, are just what would be 



Colloquy on Sanctification. 57 

expected if the members were enrolled. A 
certain number gathered in one house is 
here recognized as the church. Oh, it is 
clear that God recognizes visible churches 
and officers, deacons and pastors in them. 
Acts 20 : 28 ; Galatians 6:6; 2 Corinthi- 
ans 9 : 5-7 ; 1 Corinthians 9 : 9-14, show con- 
clusively that it is the duty of the members of 
these local and visible organizations to give 
for the support of them. Whether the mem- 
bers consider their ability and the needs of 
the pastor and decide on his support and 
give it to him as a salary — or support him 
without any set salary, is a matter of taste 
and is immaterial, just as whether I stand 
up or sit down to preach is immaterial. 
The sanctification that takes away from 
the church these choices and privileges, and 
leads members of the church to leave the 
church, combine themselves in bands to de- 
nounce local churches and sectarianism, 
while they rebaptize and establish a sect 
themselves — the sanctification that does 
that is not the sanctification of the Bi- 
ble. It is 'crazification' and fanaticism. 
Christ's sanctification led him to enter the 
synagogue and cause his voice to be heard 



58 Sanctiiication vs. Fanaticism. 

in the temple. Be not deceived, my brother. 
'Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them 
which cause division and offences contrary 
to the doctrine which ye have learned ; and 
avoid them. For they that are such serve 
not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own 
belly ; and by good words and fair speeches 
deceive the hearts of the simple. ■ M (Rom. 16; 
17-18). 



MISSIONS, THE MARVEL OF THE AGE. 



(.Delivered before the Alabama Baptist State Convention, 1897.] 

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16 : 15.) 

This text is a part of what is known as 
the Great Commission. It contains two 
simple commands that we must understand, 
if we are to enjoj^ its true meaning and ex- 
perience its power. It has been the ener- 
gizing force in Christian activities since the 
days of the Apostles, who counted their 
lives nothing that they might accomplish 
their mission. 

What is embraced in the expression, "Go 
ye?" Much might be said in answer to 
this question ; but I shall be compelled to 
confine my answer to a few things that are 
suggested by what the apostles did as min- 
isters of salvation. When they set out 
on their mission, and went to Jerusalem, 
they were endowed with the Spirit, and 
moved in all the world. Evidently they 

(59) 



60 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

saw a little "go" in this big "Go," whose 
meaning was to get ready. We are called 
upon 

TO GO, GET READY TO PREACH. 

The minister of the Gospel must go first 
and get the Gospel. yes ; God sends us 
to get the gospel, brethren. If I should say 
to you, "Go plow," you know I mean for 
you to get the mule and the plow and go 
plow. You would think me crazy to go at 
your word to plow, with nothing to plow 
with. Is it any less foolish for a man to 
go preach the Gospel without having 
the Gospel ? Let us grant you have 
been truly converted ; then your prep- 
aration, (a) a knowledge of the word. 
This knowledge may be secured through 
diligent reading and studying; through 
teachers and schools, (b) This preparation 
must be made complete by the endowment 
of the Holy Spirit. Thus prepared, go 
forth into the world. 

II. INTO ALX THE WORLD. 

If into all the world means into every 
part of the world, it also embraces every 
grade, phase and condition of human so- 
ciety. This command makes it our duty 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 61 

to go to the educated and to the un- 
educated ; to the rich and to the poor ; 
to the respectable and to the disrespect able. 
Brethren, have you ever found it hard for 
you to take up time with the disrespecta- 
ble ? We are debtors to the Greek and the 
barbarian ; to the wise and unwise. Go 
into all the world ! 

IU. PREACH THE GOSPEE. 

When you go, preach the Gospel. The 
Robber Knights of the Middle Ages went 
to plunder; the pirates upon the Med- 
iterranean Sea to kidnap ; and the syndi- 
cate, to Klondike, Alaska, for gold. For 
none of these things are we to go forth, but 
to preach. " Proclaim the glad tidings," 
is our commission. Mark followed in his 
use of words the idea of heralding, setting 
forth the idea that "to preach, " means 
"to cry out." Like the herald with an im- 
portant message from the king, we are to 
cry out. We must cry in our homes, in 
our cities, along the road, in the woods ; 
in the uttermost parts of the earth, cry 
out ; in the heat and cold alike, cry and 
publish the Gospel. 



62 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

We are not left to conjecture what we 
are to preach. Go and preach the Gospel! 
Peter the Hermit preached the Crusade ; Col- 
umbus, the discovery of America, and John 
Brown, the abolition of slavery. We, the 
publishers of grace, are to preach the Gos- 
pel. Though the discovery of the New 
World was good tidings and the abolition 
filled the slave with unspeakable rapture, 
they are not our message. They are gos- 
pels but not the Gospel. The message to 
Noah was a gospel, but not the Gospel ; the 
call of Abraham was a gospel, but not the 
Gospel. The Mosaic economy was glad 
tidings to the guilty soul, but all the blood 
of beasts on Jewish altars slain, could not 
give the guilty conscience peace nor take 
away a stain. But Jesus, the dying Lamb, 
with richer blood than they, washes all our 
sins away. This is the Gospel. "Behold 
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the 
sin of the world." 

The heralds that tramped the Jerusalem 
hills, bore one message one time ; another 
message at another time, but our message 
remains the same: "Preach the Gospel." 
Buddhism, Brahminism, Zoroastrism and 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 63 

Mohammedism present a god and laws to 
men without a hint of where they may se- 
cure the necessary help to their infirmities 
to perform them. The Gospel brings to 
depraved souls a friend with help in his 
hands, saying, "Here is strength for your 
weakness, joy for your sorrows, balm for 
every wound and cordial for every care." 
Mohammedism rests upon a conception, an 
ideal in the minds of its author ; the Gos- 
pel, upon a person. Mohammed says do ac- 
cording to the teachings of the Koran; Jesus 
says do as I do. Buddhism is precept; Chris- 
tianity is example. There is in it how to 
perform as well as what to perform. Blessed 
thought ! 

IV. PREACH IT TO EVERY CREATURE. 

Christ is the Son of man; every phase of 
human nature is found in him. His name 
makes leap and quiver the heart of the 
Greek and the Barbarian, the wise and the 
unwise — hence comes the command, "Go 
preach the Gospel to every creature." Rev. 
J. Lewis Smith, writing in a certain maga- 
zine on Missions, says, "The crying babe of 
Christianity was heard in its first epoch 



64 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

far beyond the walls of unknown Nazareth 
or the Jewish metropolis. When the full 
rounded pod of truth broke, the seeds flew 
into all the world. The Gospel at first 
wended its way into Samaria. Then Philip 
baptized the Ethiopian and sent the germs 
of Christianity to be deposited close at the 
throne of Queen Candace. Soon Peter had 
carried his good news down to the Roman 
centurion, and on the Caesarean shore 
soon began to break the immortal music 
of missionary ideas. By and by Peter and 
James began at Jerusalem. Paul and Bar- 
nabas and Luke, like Bedouin wanderers, 
go wandering on to Athens, Ephesus, Cor- 
inth and Rome, and with fiery tongue, 
and lip trembling with an almost divine 
emotion, eloquently tell the story of the 
Cross. The Gospel stream is now trickling 
down the parched mountains of human 
needs. It runs into Rome, Alexandria, 
Constantinople ; it flows into ancient 
Gaul, thence into the British Isles, thence 
backward into Europe, beating the shores 
of centuries till it lulls on the banks of the 
18th century. 

" 1792 opened a glittering romance with 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 65 

the pious cobbler of Paulerburg the chief 
actor. In the home of the widow Wallace 
at Kettering, England, was formed the Eng- 
lish Missionary Society, which thus be- 
came the pioneer in modern efforts to 
propagate the Gospel among the hea- 
then. They adopted as their motto, ' At- 
tempt great things for God ; expect great 
things from God/' With William Gary to 
act on their chosen motto, they began. 
There was no one to let him down in the 
dark mine. ' China was walled about 
against Christianity; Japan's ports, with 
another wall, the wonder of the world, were 
closed fast. India's government was hos- 
tile to such chivalry ; the crescent every- 
where had stones for the Cross. And Papal 
Europe, intolerant to the last degree, even 
unto death, would as soon a pagan canni- 
bal would visit them as a Christian mis- 
sionary holding the ideas of that pioneer 
society of Kettering. Travelers, they said, 
could visit the Eternal City, but they must 
not^take Bibles inside the gates.' " 

English politicians pronounced Gary's 
idea as the wildest, most foolish and dam- 
nable idea that was ever even produced by 

5 ■ . 



66 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

a savage. Sydney Smith, holding the po- 
sition of a Gospel minister, laughed Gary's 
scheme to scorn. Dr. Hill, a theological 
professor, said to his pupil, Robert Nesbitt, 
who was about to go to Bombay to preach 
the Gospel to the natives, "You must be a 
fool for going to India to preach the Gos- 
pel ! Don't you know that the Hindus are 
all better than ourselves, and that by your 
going there it would spoil matters ? " The 
idea of preaching the Gospel to every crea- 
ture would not down him. India heard the 
Gospel and marvelous have been the re- 
sults. " Before the missionaries fell the in- 
famous suttle ; the widow no more burns 
on the funeral pyre of her husband ; no 
longer does the superstitious and agoniz- 
ing mother hurl her innocent babes into 
the sacred Ganges. The cast iron rules of 
caste are breaking down all over the em- 
pire, so that you may see the Brahmin, 
the Paree and the Sudra traveling in com- 
pany with each other, exchanging cour- 
tesies and carrying on interesting conver- 
sation with each other." Indeed, the Gos- 
pel is the power unto salvation to every 
one that believes. 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 67 

In 1873, Sir Bartle Frere wrote on this 
romance of modern mission and said : 
" Whatever you may be told to the con- 
trary, the teaching of Christianity among 
the one hundred and sixty millions of civil- 
ized industrious Hindus and Mohammedans 
in India is effecting political, moral and so- 
cial changes, which for extent and rapidity 
of effect, are far more extraordinary than 
anything that you or your father have wit- 
nessed in modern Europe. " Keshub Chand- 
ler said years ago, " Christ, not the British 
government, rules India. " The Gospel has 
not only worked immaterial changes, but 
has exerted wholesome influence upon the 
material and commercial affairs of the na- 
tions. The Sandwich Islands have paid for 
export at a single American port in one year, 
more money by $367,000 than it cost to 
Christianize them in sixty years. It is said 
for every dollar England spends in missions, 
she receives ten in trade. Stanley says that 
the commerce of the Congo Valley, which 
was opened by missionaries, is worth $300- 
000,000 a year to the markets of the 
world; India, opened up by missionaries, 
is estimated as sending forth one billion 



68 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

dollars' worth of exports in a single year. 
The shout of the plowman, the dashing 
engine, the plowing steamship, the clank of 
machinery, the accumulating of clothing 
and other articles of commerce, follow in 
the footsteps or wake of tha Gospel or mis- 
sionary labors. These things are mar- 
velous in our eyes and speak in no 
uncertain sound against Col. Ingersoll, 
who has stated that for the vast amount 
of money spent in missions the returns 
are very small. From benighted Af- 
rica, skeptical India, the frontiers of our 
own country, and the unenlightened corners 
of our own State, comes the Macedonian 
voice. How are we answering the call ? 
The home-loving, ease-seeking and world- 
grasping men, members of the church, have 
from the earliest time received the commis- 
sion, " Go into all the world, " without joy. 
That class has exerted a controlling 
influence in our churches for years. 
They talk much about making good homes ; 
they teach with emphasis that a comforta- 
ble home will go far towards maintain- 
ing the chastity of children and increas- 
ing the morality of the community. 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 69 

They quote with delight the passage, 
" Make ye friends of mammon ;" tell the chil- 
dren they must be polite and kind ; that it is 
better to have the good will of a dog than 
the ill will. They lay stress on the thought 
that every man must live by the sweat of his 
face, and that any one who will not pro- 
vide for his own house is worse than an in- 
fidel ; thus licensing themselves to cheat 
and withhold their money from God's cause 
on the plea of taking care of their families. 
Oh ye Pharisees that bind burdens on oth- 
ers that you would not touch with your 
fingers ! They build fine churches and stand 
in their doors and cry: " Come in, all ye 
ends of the earth, and be saved." This or- 
der of human origin, of the dignified, who 
are too pure to talk to the woman at the 
well and are too impure to call in and see 
Lazarus the beggar — who visit no one but 
the high-toned, and set the table for none 
but their kinfolk and the rich and educated, 
has too near supplanted the injunction, Go 
into the streets and bring the lame, the halt 
and blind, and into the hedges and compel 
them to come in. 

Brother minister, are you seeking an 



70 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

easy place ? Are you refusing a call because 
there is in it hard work ? God forbid. But 
we note with delight there are some in our 
churches, as there have always been from 
the days of the Apostles, who dare to be a 
Daniel, who are obeying the command, " Go 
into all the world and preach the Gospel." 
There are scores of our brethren supported 
by Southern Conventions and Northern So- 
cieties in the wild West and on the frontiers 
of our great country, laboring with all their 
might, preaching three and four sermons a 
day. They preach to sea-tossed sailors 
that come into wharves along the coast. 
Their meat and drink is to do their Mas- 
ter's will. They are not bothered with 
the forms and fashions of this world. Sure- 
ly, they are happy in their unhappiness. 

The Negro Baptist churches of this coun- 
try were organized by Rev. Wm. J. Sim- 
mons, D. D., LL. D., a few years ago, for 
missionary work. The organization is now 
known as the National Baptist Convention. 
It is doing a creditable mission work in 
Africa. Rev. R. A. Jackson, Miss Banton, 
Bros. Tule and Steward a:nd nine more 
persons are our missionaries there. They 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 71 



have separated themselves from nativity, 
friends, civilization, thousands of miles 
away, while some of us refuse to move 
from our comfortable homes to another 
part of the State or country. Oh, noble 
heroes, how I love vou ! Our work in that 
Fatherland has resulted in five churches, 
twelve missionaries, fifteen native helpers 
and three hundred and fifty-eight members. 
Oh, glorious thought ! Oh, resurrection day ! 

In our own State we have three who are 
sacrificing comfort to serve us in carrying 
out this commission, namely : Rev. R. T. 
Pollard, Dr. C. 0. Boothe and Dr. W. R. 
Pettiford. The field is large, the harvest is 
white, the Master still calls, " Who will go 
and work to-day ? " 

Oh, let us give this dying world the 
Gospel — that is what it needs. It was 
this Gospel, preached by John Williams, 
the Apostle of Polynesia, that led the 
barbarians of the boorish Islands, a peo- 
ple of the lowest grade of savagery 
and idolatry, to organize juries and 
courts and frame laws after the manner 
of civilized people. In less than a life- 
time three hundred islands had been led 



72 Sanctidcation vs. Fanaticism. 

to believe in our triumphant Saviour. 
John Leddis' marble slab contains the fol- 
lowing : " When he came here he found no 
Christians ; when he left he left no heath- 
ens. " 

It was the Gospel that uplifted and saved 
the terrible savage of Terra del Fuego, whom 
Mr. Chas. Darwin said it was impossible to 
civilize. Allen Garner., who first distributed 
the leaves of the Tree of Life, perished of 
starvation without witnessing their re- 
demption. Near his dead body, carved in a 
rock by his own hands,* were the words, 
"My soul, wait thou on the Lord, for my ex- 
pectation is from him." Other missionaries 
followed him and they were saved. Mis- 
sionaries must labor and wait. Sixtj' years 
ago, not a soul in Madagascar could read. 
Now 300,000 can, and most of them have 
Bibles as their chief treasure. The Gospel 
has made it the crown of modern chivalry 
and the greatest of missionary marvels. 

The Gospel! the Gospel! the Gospel! 
Let us get it, brethren, and give it to the 
world — get it from books, get it from school, 
get it from the Holy Ghost ! It will make 
the drunkard temperate and heal the bro- 



Missions, the Marvel of the Age. 73 

ken hearted; it will convert the ill-famed 
house into a sanctuary and bid the harlot 
to go free and sin no more. In hours of 
danger and sore affliction, when friends for- 
sake and enemies pursue, the Gospel soothes 
our sorrows, heals our wounds and drives 
away our fears. The marriage tie is 
strengthened by it, and the family estab- 
lished on high principles and purified. 

Would you account for the Negro's prog- 
ress since the surrender of Lee, count in first 
the missionaries that followed the army 
with Words of Life. There is life in the Gos- 
pel — "He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved, " shall have everlasting life. 
India is calling for this life ; the isles of the 
Sea are calling ; Africa with an area of eleven 
and a half million square miles, equal to the 
whole of America and Europe, with a pop- 
ulation of two hundred million, double that 
of North and South 5 is panting for the wa- 
ter of Life. Who will go — who will go ? 

Do you believe in missions, my friends, 
missions to the far away Pagan ? If you do 
not, something is wrong with your Christian 
life. When vegetable and animal life will 
have ceased, the life of the Gospel remains. 



74 Sanctification vs. Fanaticism. 

When the wreck of time, the shock of mat- 
ter and the crash of the world will have 
come, and the steamboats, ships and trains 
will be heaped in a confused jmass, the Gos- 
pel train will pull the redeemed of earth 
safe into the haven of rest. 

Those who have given money|for mis- 
sions shall receive their reward. The old 
missionary who has tramped and carried 
the Gospel through heat and cold, rain and 
sunshine, and pressed upon dying souls 
with burning lips from the pulpit or as he 
went from house to house, and with his 
quivering pen through the newspapers as 
they flew through the land, shall see the 
travail of his soul, and be satisfied. He 
shall shine — surpassing in brightness that 
of the professor or pastor — as a star of the 
first magnitude. 



LECTURES. 



INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER A FORCE 
IN THE WORLD. 



(An Alumni Oration, 1891.) 

We have come to celebrate an acquisition 
of time, a work wrought by the hand of 
force, which being implanted in the vapor of 
creation, evolved from chaos our beautiful 
universe. It has fashioned the earth, and 
given planets a perpetual motion under 
laws ordained for their regulation. As an 
agent of God, Force has effected the changes 
of the earth; closed in cyclone, it has laid 
waste districts ; gliding among the atoms 
of water, it has cut canyons through 
the mountains. Its abstract existence is 
recognized in concrete things of nature ; 
under its influence the world has been 
marching to the time of development 
through the ages. 

Force has put an end to the old and in- 
troduced the new ; it has established and 
destroyed empires. Through one indi- 
vidual it has excited revolutions ; through 

(75) 



76 Lectures, 



another it has brought about reformation. 
Each of these individuals is a concrete 
form of force. At this point we invite your 
attention to our subject from which we 
hope to entertain you on this occasion, 
namely, " Individual Character a Force in 
the World.' ' 

Individual character has copied from the 
rocks a record of prehistoric times ; it has 
soared aloft and opened to the world the 
mysteries of the fiery vaults of heaven ; it 
has captured and utilized the force of nature 
and set the world in motion. From facts 
and confused speculation, systems of phi- 
losophy have been devised by individuals of 
unique character : these exceptional charac- 
ters have been distributed through the cen- 
turies. Through one at a time it seems 
that God has operated in his dealings with 
the world. For a while the world pivoted 
on the first man, Adam ; then on coura- 
geous Noah ; next on godly Moses ; again 
on the characters David and Nehemiah. 

Menes, Amenemhat, Thothmes III. and 
Rameses II. decided the course of Egypt and 
nations beyond its border for a series of 
centuries ; Chedorlaomer, Sargon, Asshur- 



Individual Character a Force. 77 

bani-pal and Nebuchadnezzar were excep- 
tional characters and settled the fate of em- 
pires in the East for successive generations. 
Alexander of Macedon changed the whole 
face of the world and stamped it indelibly 
with his character. Caesar, Alfred, Charle- 
magne, Peter the Great, Saladin, Cromwell, 
Napoleon, Washington, Toussiant L'Ouver- 
ture were men of exceptional character. 
They were forces in the world's movements 
during their period. To-day their influ- 
ences are felt and they live though they are 
dead. 

But towering up above these characters 
is the character Jesus of Nazareth. He is a 
unique and compound character. His ap- 
pearance upon the stage of life arrested the 
course of humamdevelopment and progress, 
and diverted the stream of advancement 
into a new direction. He was a teacher, 
moralist, prophet and preacher ; his action 
was wonderful, his ideas sublime and pro- 
found. His doctrines paralyzed the Roman 
Empire, upturned institutions and intro- 
duced new civilization. 

Jean Paul, in speaking of Christ's life, 
says: " It concerns him who, being the ho- 



78 Lectures. 



liest among the mighty and the mightiest 
among the holy, lifted with his pierced 
hand empires off their hinges, turned the 
stream of centuries out of its channels and 
still governs the ages." 

What is true of Christ is true in a less 
degree of others in the field of thought. 
Zoroaster determined or established the re- 
ligion of Persia and modified its society. 
Confucius molded China and Buddha 
fashioned India, To them may be traced 
the course of events that make up the an- 
nals of these vast empires. 

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Mohammed, 
Descartes and Bacon have swayed succes- 
sively the minds and hearts of multitudes. 
The personality of Homer, of Virgil, of 
Shakespeare and Bunyan still trembles in 
the breast of myriads. 

Beyond the banks of the channels of the 
powers of individual character, the thought 
of the masses never breaks to flow in 
trenches excavated by their own powers. 
Nations are swayed by one man and then 
by another. Such men are their recognized 
leaders. They are not usually the immedi- 
diate head ofaffairs,butmen of more marked 



Individual Character a Force. 79 

and exceptional character. The characters 
that have done much to shape the national 
life of England for the past century or more 
are Pitts, Burke, Palmerston, and Glad- 
stone. The " Monroe Doctrine " has become 
a regnant principle in the politics of the 
United States. The opinions of Jefferson 
and Hamilton still fluctuate in the minds of 
the American people. 

Every intelligent student of history 
knows that, practically, the religious lead- 
ers of to-day are manifestations of the indi- 
vidual or exceptional character of some re- 
ligious thinker — one of Luther, another of 
Calvin, another of Arminius, and still an- 
other of Wesley. Should you ask for anoth- 
er example of individual character, we give 
you the name of Granville Sharp, a linen 
draper of England, who, being told that his 
ignorance of Greek made him incompetent 
to judge the force of arguments for or 
against the divinity of Christ, set to work 
to master the language. The result of his 
effort was his work on the Greek article, 
which became a new starting point in the 
New Testament exegesis, and led to the 
elaborate treatise of Middleton and Words- 



80 Lectures. 

worth. Granville Sharp did not only move 
the literary world, but set into operation 
the powers of political justice. His sympa- 
thy being called or excited by the case of a 
Negro in the streets of London, chained as 
a slave, his character was enlisted. He de- 
termined slavery should be wiped from 
British soil. With courts arrayed against 
him, he pushed his cause up to the highest 
tribunal, overturned all previous judicial 
decisions, and secured the promulgation of 
the decision that no person could be held as 
a slave on the soil of Great Britain. The 
power set into action by Granville Sharp 
rolled across the Atlantic and liberated four 
millions of bondmen from their shackles, 
which being smashed by the power of jus- 
tice, fell into the dust, in the midst of accla- 
mation of wild delight. 

Individual character moves the world. 
" Every true man," says Emerson, "is a 
cause, is a country and an age ; requires in- 
finite spaces, numbers and time fully to ac- 
complish his design; " and posterity seems 
to follow in his steps as a train of clients. 
A man (Caesar) is born, and ages af- 
ter we have a Roman Empire. And all 



Individual Character a Force, 81 

history revolves itself very easily into the 
biography of a few staid and earnest men. 
At the exploits of the adventurer, heroic 
actions of the gallant and the intellectual 
achievements of the genius, the world gazes 
with astonishment and reels with perplex- 
ity. Through the force of individual char- 
acter, God is carrying on His progressive 
work among men. In each period of the 
past, some truth of industry or principle of 
government has been given to the world by 
individual character. We are the product 
of the ages. This age is what no other age 
has been. 

"We are living, we are dwelling, 

In a grand and awful time ; 
In an age on ages telling, 

To the living is sublime." 

But in the human mind still lurks the ex- 
pectation of a grand and more sublime age 
and of greater nations. 

Ancient Egypt is no more ; its doings are 
recorded upon its monuments. Babylon 
has sheathed its sword and retired from the 
field of conquest; the glory of Greece has 
faded ; the sceptre from Rome has departed. 
The Star of Empire now quivers over mod- 
ern powers. The achievements of one na- 



82 Lectures. 

tion or age are a legacy for succeeding 
generations ; looking through the telescope 
of time, we view another generation, enter- 
ing the battle of life; a new empire arises 
up in the distance, the climax of terrestrial 
government, an exhibition of the blessings 
of Christianity to the world. In this em- 
pire caste shall be driven from its throne, 
its institutions demolished and political 
corruption restrained by the sceptre of 
righteousness. This new order of things 
will be brought about through the instru- 
mentality of individual character. Through 
Caesar came the Roman Empire ; through 
Washington, our Republic. With the birth 
of some character for which nature is la- 
boring, shall burst forth a new empire. 
This ideal institution shall be established 
by an individual character. Individuality, 
as a force among the world's forces, is not 
confined to any race or clime. 

Ethiopia had its Tirhakah, Egypt its 
Rameses, Babylon its Nebuchadnezzar, 
China its Confucius, India its Buddha, 
Media its Sargon, Macedonia its Alexander, 
Greece its Solo and Socrates, Rome its Cae- 
sar and Cicero, England its Cromwell, 



Individual Character a Force. 83 

France its Napoleon, and America its 
Washington. Upon the stage of the glori- 
ous future shall or will appear, in like man- 
ner, actors of every race. If the black man, 
the pioneer of civilization, would play his 
part well, he must spend, as other men, 
years of toilsome labor in preparation. 
The happy and welcome participant in the 
triumph of the sublimer age will be the 
man of exceptional character regardless of 
race. But few of these characters are born, 
the greater number is developed or made 
by external influence brought to bear on 
the soul. 

Every member of this alumni should 
strive to be a force in directing the colored 
youth of the land to greatness and future 
usefulness. To be great and useful, the 
Afro- American boy has not received much 
encouragement in the past. That his an- 
cestors led the world in science, art and 
government for two thousand years has 
been denied ; his head has been weighed in 
the balance of science and pronounced in- 
ferior. To the assertions the Afro-Ameri- 
cans have seemingly paid no attention ; but 
content, if they be so, to make up in work 



84 Lectures. 

what he lacks in calibre and quality, he has 
pressed on. What he is, he is, because he 
could not be anything else ; he has risen 
because he could not stay down. But what 
he is points to a great ancestry, and excites 
at this point the quotation from Volney, 
which says : "How strange that to the 
race now our slaves and the objects of our 
extreme contempt, we owe our science and 
our very speech. " There are many theories 
concerning the Negro that are out of har- 
mony with facts, and, like the Ptolomaic 
theory of the solar system that swayed the 
world for fourteen centuries, ere long shall 
fall into disrepute. 

If I were asked why Ethiopia is so low, 
if it has been so high, I would answer : For 
the same reason that Babylon has fallen 
into obscurity. The trials and outrages 
that the black man has suffered in this 
country have evidenced his manhood to 
the world. They have done for him what 
the storm does for the oak — made him 
strong. What the Afro-American needs 
to-day is more individual character — men 
of learning, of executive force and moral 
firmness ; men who can wake up the race 



Individual Character a Force. 85 

to the possibilities that lie before them ; 
men whose eloquence and logic will move 
the nation to espouse the cause of justice, 
as Luther moved Germany against Catholi- 
cism. 

We need men to contend in the final 
struggle between the whites and blacks in 
the South. Read the signs of the times. 
What means the " Age-Herald' ' in say- 
ing, U A Convention of the colored leaders 
should be called ?" It means an intellectual 
war. It means a solution of the Negro 
Problem, which cannon, legislation and 
lynch law have failed to solve. 

I repeat, we need men — men of excep- 
tional character to usher in the bright day 
that is now peeping over the mountains. 
We, with other alumni of the land, are re- 
sponsible directly or indirectly for these 
characters. Shall the Plebeians have a Cin- 
cinnatus ? Shall there be lifted up a Moses 
to the oppressed ? Let every one answer to 
his own soul. The development of the 
world is made up of advances and cessa- 
tions. Each interval is consumed in prep- 
aration for the next move toward perfection. 
As each period of the earth's formation was 



86 Lectures. 

preceded by violent shocks and upheavals, 
so every great change in the affairs of men, 
is preceded by great anxiety and conten- 
tions. 

In the contest which betokens an era of 
liberty, prosperity and peace among men, 
I would advise the use of knowledge, which 
is more effective than the musket; of truth, 
which is more piercing than the sword; 
that principle not policy be our watch-word ; 
remembering that men of principle, of indi- 
vidual character, move the world. 



BE STRONG; SHOW THYSELF A MAN. 



(The commencement address to the Y. M. C. A. of the Agricultu- 
ral and Mechanical College, Normal, Ala). 

Life is a drama. In it every one must 
play a part. For this, one must have 
strength; hence comes our subject, "Be 
strong and show yourself a man." 

We live in a most active age. Remarka- 
ble have been the strides of modern times. 
We face a stupendous civilization of ponder- 
ous proportions ; we have widened our bor- 
ders from the narrow confines of Europe, 
Asia, and North Africa to embrace the earth. 
The cable has belted the globe and made 
those far away our next-door neighbors. 
The clumsy, flimsy sailboat has given place 
to the magnificent steamer that plows the 
deep like a sea monster. Our refinement as 
a country is an enlargement of the splendor 
of Greece ; our government is after the figure 
of the free institutions of Ancient Rome. 
The star of empire passing from Baby- 
lon stood for a period over these fertile pe- 
ninsulas. Beneath it Homer penned his 

(87) 



88 Lectures. 

epics, Plato evolved his evolutions of mind, 
and Epicurus forged epicureanism the re- 
vulsion of stoicism. Great festivals became 
a distinction of the refined. Magnificent 
ceremonies and gaiety accompanied these 
felicitous occasions. 

This eventful career of lofty people was 
intercepted by war. It was during the 
struggle between the Plutocracy of Attica 
and the Democratic Aristocracy of Sparta 
that the Spartan mother realized the impor- 
tance of our subject, and drove her son from 
her to battle, with the words, as she handed 
him his shield : " Return with it or upon it !" 
Be strong and show thyself a man, is the 
force of the words. 

After Columbus discovered America the 
star moved upward and westward until it 
quivered over a new nation in the land of 
the red man. Civilization in its refulgent 
brightness followed in the wake of the ex- 
plorers. Struggles and troubles that had 
been incident to its march from its origin 
came with it to the land of bullions. The 
Indians and explorers open the conflict here. 
Sir Walter Raleigh was repulsed, and Cap- 
tain John Smith had to show himself a man 



Be Strong; Show Thyself a Man. 89 

more than once in managing the red man's 
hostilities. Patrick Henry sounded the 
conflict enlarged to life size. His memor- 
able words, "We must fight!" mean noth- 
ing less than "Be strong and show yourself 
a man!" 

Alexander has conquered his empires, 
Hannibal has burned the torches on the 
horns of the oxen, and Caesar has fought 
in the campaigns of Gaul. The Revolu- 
tion ary war lives only in hist or y ; Plato 
has evolved the mortality of the soul ; New- 
ton and Bacon have unlocked the door of 
nature to the inventor ; but the conflict is 
desperate, the work preponderant and com- 
plicated. Hence the need of the admonition, 
"Be strong and show yourself a man !" is 
evident. 

With the flintlock and hat-cap muskets, 
we achieved victories in the past. The 
quick firing guns of the present and heavier 
implements of to-day demand and require 
more strength and skill on the part of those 
that handle them than it required to han- 
dle the simple weapons of our fathers. 
With rude implements, our brave heroes of 
early times extended our republic from the 



90 Lectures. 

turbulent Atlantic to the placid Pacific on 
the west ; opportunities, difficulties and re- 
sponsibilities and obligations increased 
with our increase of territory. The things 
necessary for the maintenance and progress 
of our government now are to the necessi- 
ties of Washington's government as the 
weapons of our fathers are to the Iowa 
war boat. I fancy Jefferson looking down 
upon the Capitol at Washington, with eye 
glancing over the wide extended domain, 
saying ; "Be strong and equal to the task! 
Be a man! " 

The chief and distinguishing difference 
between a boy and a man is strength. 
This is the essential element of progress. It 
is no less important in the race horse than 
in the pack horse. It is the passive form 
of it that exists in the pillars that bear up 
the massive mansion ; through it the moun- 
tain stands unmoved by the terrific cyclone; 
in the locomotive it draws a train of cars. 
If it were needed before muscles were so near- 
ly supplanted by machinery in handling 
heavy weights, it is needed for movement in 
this electric age — age of the steam engine, 
telegraph, telephone, X-ray, telescope, the 



Be Strong; Show Thyself a Man. 91 

diving-ship and the flying-ship. The man 
that travels on the stage coach to-day will 
get there after the feast. Be strong and 
show yourself a man in the race or activi- 
ties of life. David, the warrior and Psalm- 
ist of Israel, when he came to die, said to 
his son Solomon : Be strong and walk in 
the ways of thj^ Lord God, that thou may- 
est prosper in all that thou dost, whitherso- 
ever thou turnest thyself. 

Activity is a duty and a privilege. On 
the ball ground every one strives to show 
himself a man. Many delighted to kick the 
dust in the Olympic games and bear off the 
laurel wreath. As the hungry lion turns 
from his cage and comes dashing at the 
gladiator in the Roman arena, well might 
the spectator cry to him : "Show thyself a 
man ! " But this is physical activity. 

There is a mental activity. Every school- 
boy is acquainted with this struggle. Some 
of them find that learning the alphabet is 
harder than play, and to keep up with the 
flying events in history, the burial and res- 
surrection of men, calls for more strength 
than to get the swiftly flying or rolling 
ball to put out a man. Many find it more 



92 Lectures. 

difficult to strike and to catch the curves 
thrown by their teacher than that of their 
opponent on the ball ground. How often 
is "Foul and out " heard in the classroom; 
how mortifying is " three strikes" and 
"out" to the boy who has toiled hard to 
get his lessons ! To some a burning prob- 
lem is more dreadful than the infuriated 
lion ; the Bridge of Asses of geometry more 
trying than a bucking mule. What books 
and schools are to the student, life is to 
every person. Here we meet the sterner real- 
ities of life. 

Along with the physical and mental ac- 
tivity we have already noticed, moral ac- 
tivity has its place. We are not only to 
walk, but we are to walk in God's ways. 
Out of our relations to God as our Creator, 
and to his creatures, grow obligations and 
duty which form an essential part in a 
walk in His way. I can't better convey the 
idea of this way to you than to refer you 
to the Son of man. His ways were God's 
ways. He did not spend his time with the 
light, frivolous things of life. When but a 
boy he talked with the lawyers and doc- 
tors. He said to John that it becomes us to 



Be Strong; Show Thyself a Man. 93 

fulfill all righteousness. He sympathized 
with Martha and Mary ; he went about do- 
ing good. He was pathetic but frank in his 
dealings ; he treated with great respect and 
kindness the worst of sinners. There is not 
an uncourteous act in his life to be found. 
The whole matter, in a word, is, He lived 
for others. 

It is with great pleasure I address this 
Young Men's Christian Association to-day, 
a society that represents the moral activity 
of beautiful Normal. Your work, gentle- 
men, is a grand one. " Be strong and show 
yourselves men!' All over our country 
there are weak young men that need your 
care. Weak men make weak families ; weak 
families make weak towns ; weak towns 
make weak counties ; weak counties make 
weak States ; weak States make a weak 
country. Save the young men and our 
country is safe. 

If I am asked, what about the girls, the 
young women, I answer that the whole 
world is trying to save them. Mother 
keeps daughter tied to her apron string and 
father and son stand around her a strong 
fortification. No man wants his daughter 



94 Lectures. 

insulted. But what about the poor boy 
turned loose to romp the streets ; exposed 
to vice all the day long. Before he is six- 
teen, he is kept out late at night working. 
A mother awakes from a frightful dream 
at two o'clock in the morning and whispers 
low, but with intense anxiety: " Where is 
my wandering boy to-night ? " 

Save the young men and you will go far 
toward saving the young ladies or women. 
Am I ignorant of the consensus of opinion 
of many educators and lecturers when I 
say this? Not at all. I have listened to the 
doctrine, " Elevate woman, and man will be 
elevated, " with great interest. I think it 
born of enthusiasm not of season. I say 
this modestly and with all due respect for 
the excellent advocates of the doctrine 
which, to my mind, is a false inference from 
the proposition, namely, Eve pulled Adam 
down and she must raise him up. It is 
here inferred that woman is naturally su- 
perior in moral strength, if not in intellect- 
ual strength, to man. Hence, the conclu- 
sion, " Elevate woman, and man will be or 
is elevated.' ' 

But let us infer or suppose that in the fall, 



Be Strong-; Show Thyself a Man. 95 

the weakness of Adam, rather than the 
strength ofwoman, was emphasized. Then 
it would be as fair to conclude that woman's 
weakness was evidenced in the fall as to 
conclude that her strength was shown to 
illustrate. If a child one year old should 
catch hold of a child of three years old, and 
in toddling around trying to stand, pull 
the older child down, does it folio w that 
the three-year-old child is weaker than the 
one-year-old child ? I don't believe an un- 
biased mind would answer this question af- 
firmatively. I don't believe my mind is bi- 
ased. If the woman and man question is 
parallel with our illustration, the elevating 
the man solely by elevating woman doctrine 
falls to the ground. The women and men 
both must be cared for and lifted up. I think 
you will agree with tLis conclusion, when 
you consider how many boys or young men 
have gone from this school and fallen, and 
how many women have gone from it and 
fallen ; the number of girls that elope with 
men, and the number of men that elope with 
girls; and the number of women one man can 
control, especially a religious leader, and 
the number of men one woman can control. 



96 Lectures. 



Yes, I think you will conclude with me 
that woman's superiority of influence to that 
of man is a debatable question — a teach- 
ing that savors the doctrine of men by 
which we are warned not to be deceived. If 
we are in need of strong women to-day, we 
are not in less need of strong men. The 
family is calling for them ; society is calling 
for them ; the government is calling ; busi- 
ness is calling ; the church is calling. Espe- 
cially is this true with the Negro in this 
country. 

Our fathers turned loose out of slavery 
without food, without clothes, without 
shelter, without money — only with sinewy 
muscles and the sluggishness of our father- 
land lost in the spirit of American civiliza- 
tion — have made marvelous strides up- 
ward. To-day we pay taxes on $450,- 
000,000 worth of real estate and $261,- 
000,000 worth of personal proper- 
ty. We have two banks and one street 
car system; 29,873 school houses; 
84 colleges and universities; 305 news- 
papers and magazines; 39,803 church- 
es worth $32,000,307. Our fathers are fast 
going the way of all the earth. This accu- 



Be Strong-; Show Thyself a Man. 97 

mulation is being left in the hands of the 
young men. What will they do with it? 
Will we hold it ? Shall we go forward or 
backward ? 

There now confronts us new difficulties 
that our fathers never dreamed of; circum- 
stances most unfavorable to our future 
growth have developed with our rapid 
strides. Most weighty matters are now 
coming down on us ; hence the necessity for 
strength, for action and for endurance also. 

Just after the war the white man found 
himself with no Negroes to work his land, 
and without strength and skill to do the 
work himself. This was in the Negro's fa- 
vor. He found ready employment on the 
old farm of his master. Annoyances and 
troubles that were incident to managing 
these farms during the period leading up to 
reconstruction made the old master more 
than desirous to sell farms to the Negroes. 
A few of them seized the opportunity and 
bought homes, but the great majority of 
them was as blind as the white master, and 
let their opportunity slip. To-day the Ne- 
gro wants to buy land and the white man 
does not want to sell. 

7 



98 Lectures. 

For many years after the Negro was freed 
he received large wages. This was due, 
among other things, to the fact that he 
was the only one in the South that could 
perform manual labor (the white man at 
that time had not learned how to work) 
and to the fact that the white man had not 
worked out how little he could afford to 
give him. The Negro was ignorant. The 
white man could take half the large 
wages he promised and leave him satisfied. 

When some of our fathers began to get 
tired of working so hard, the white man 
sold him some land, and hence encouraged 
him to keep working for him, knowing 
he could figure the Negro out just as much 
by letting him own the land as he could 
when he rented it to him. Besides, some 
gratitude and sympathy on the old master's 
part were usualh r connected with the selling 
of land to these good old Negroes. But the 
young Negroes have not this same hold on 
the white man. Negro advancement has 
established it that the Negro is a man, and 
exploded the idea that he is a thing to be 
pitied, as the idea of the Negro's equality 
by nature to other races has developed the 



Be Strong; Show Thyself a Man. 99 

inclination to favor him has grown less, 
North and South. This declination is a 
new difficulty to be overcome by the young 
men. It is unfriendliness between the races. 
The white man to-day knows how to 
work. He can plow, blacksmith, build 
houses and log cabins, and cut hair. Un- 
friendliness, coupled with this fact, forms a 
complication very unfavorable to the Ne- 
groes' further elevation. Labor unions 
have grown out of this complication. I 
think it is fair to say one thing aimed at in 
many of the unions of the South was the 
crushing out of Negro labor and skill. The 
Negro has learned to figure; hence the 
white man has ceased promising large wa- 
ges with the intention of taking from him 
half of it without his knowing it. He has 
learned how little the Negro can live on, 
and in many places pays him accordingly. 
These unjust measures have brought about 
much dissatisfaction and restlessness on 
the part of the Negro. In their support the 
contract, the waive note, and the mortgage 
system exist, which in many respects are 
highway robbery legalized. These extreme 
enactments have been a hotbed of rascality 



100 Lectures. 

from which rascals have sprung up like 
grass all over our country. Jingoism and 
monopoly are rife in the land. The poor 
are oppressed and the people go unprotect- 
ed in their rights. Prosperity is slowly 
but truly withdrawing from the ungrateful 
Republic. 

Wisdom entreats to-day — honor and ex- 
perience call to the young men to induce 
her to stay and exhort them to show 
themselves men in the struggle to rein- 
throne her. Would it be unnatural for the 
Negro to be uneasy about his prosperity in 
such trying times ? How many boys could 
manage and successfully carry on their fa- 
thers' farm, shop or store if the father 
should die to-day? How sad that father 
must feel who believes that all he has will 
take the wings of the wind as soon as he is 
dead — his son will not be able to hold it. 
The dead and dying cry: Be strong and 
show yourself a man ! Surely, the young 
Negro must be stronger than his father. He 
must be strong to pull through the crisis •; 
to stand the disadvantages that come to 
him through labor unions; to endure and 
manage hostilities; to be a Gibraltar against 



Be Strong; Show Thyself a Man. 101 

the rolling billows of evil and surging 
waves of temptation. The mortgage forti- 
fication is superior to that of Manila or 
Porto Rico. We need a Sampson to drive 
men from the batteries and pull down the 
pillars. 

The Jim Crow car is a blight upon our 
fair name and a monument of the blindest 
prejudice. It is an incubator of disrespect 
and turns out the disrespectable in great 
numbers; it is considered second-class, and 
many Negroes feel that they must act sec- 
ond-class in it. Hence, it is against our 
progress in refinement. It falls to the 
hands of the young men to destroy this 
baneful influence and to revert this down- 
ward tendency. 

Be strong, and with the logic of a Web- 
ster and eloquence of a Simmons and cour- 
age of a Douglass, with one herculean 
stroke, break down the wall of partition 
and secure to the suffocating a whole car 
of air for which a first-class ticket calls. 

Be strong and explode the false theory 
of school economy that is now doing its 
deadly work in our State, and convince our 
law-makers that it is to the interest of all 



102 Lectures. 



that we have a school system based on the 
principle that he who tills the land or occu- 
pies the house pays the tax thereon, wheth- 
er he owns it or not. Possessors, and not 
owners, really pay taxes. It is very unfair 
where there are five Negroes to one white 
man, to divide the school money equally 
between the races on the plea that the white 
man owns the property, especially when 
the white man refuses to sell them land. 

Be strong to organize the people so as 
to use to a better advantage the resources 
at your command. This is an age of or- 
ganization. It is nearly folly for a man to 
attempt now to run a business alone. Who 
can compete with railroad monopolies, su- 
gar trusts, land syndicates, and newspaper 
combinations ? Echo answers, Who ! There 
being no great business experience or devel- 
opment to come to the Negro as an inherit- 
ance from his ancestry for more than a 
century back ; nor there being any great Ne- 
gro firm of twenty years' standing to be 
present model for him. All go to make 
great strength supremely necessary for our 
success. 

We are beginning the beginning of Negro 



Be Strong; Show Thyself a Man. 103 

business. Strength for this pioneer work 
must be obtained by hard study, thorough 
education, broad education and high educa- 
tion. Let us have a strong mind to know 
that a smile is more effective for good in 
business, sometimes, than a frown. Be po- 
lite under all circumstances. Let us have 
the moral courage to say good things 
about the white man, as well as bad things. 
Let us pray and receive the strength of true 
wisdom. It was this that enabled our fa- 
thers to maneuver their way through the 
past — their heartfelt religion has been the 
secret of our advancement, As it served 
the place of letters in the ignorant Negro of 
the past, it will make up for experience in 
the educated Negro of to-day. 

Let head religion supplement the heart 
religion, but never supplant it. The brain 
of the educated Negro must be united 
with the money of the old illiterate Negro. 
The enlightened Negro must wink at the 
faults of the igorant, and the ignorant 
must praise the merits of the cultured. 
This will be walking in God's ways and we 
shall prosper. Our barns will be filled ; our 
presses shall burst forth with new wine, un- 



104 Lectures. 

fermented. Our boys will be gallant young 
men ; our girls will be virtuous daughters 
— virtuous beyond the sense of chastity. 
The dirty hut will give place to the cosy cot 
and the cot will be supplanted by the mag- 
nificent mansion. 

A nation in a nation ! What shall it be ? 
will receive a most gratifying answer. Let 
it come. Look not to Washington^ neither 
to Montgomery ; turn your eyes into your- 
self. Be strong and show yourselves men. 
Wring success from the darkest conflict and 
pluck golden honors from the pale-faced 
moon. 



FOUR BY FOUR. 



[A commencement address before the Literary Societies of 
Selma University.] 

There are properties that are essential to 
material things that are not necessary for 
immaterial existences. Form or figure per- 
vades formations of both realms. The 
cylindrical oak, the revolving wheel and 
the level meadow of green, testify to its ex- 
istence in things material. 

Milton's " Paradise Lost/' the " Trojan 
Horse, " and the '-'Apocalypse of John," 
support the statement that it enters into 
mental concepts, which becomes the sole 
medium of mind with not-mind. In the 
Euclids, in the science of Rhetoric and in 
the numerals of the Arabs alike, figure per- 
meates every idea and application, from 
the magnificent mansion to the log hut, 
and from the finest piece of art to the in- 
finitesimal of aggregation. 

We invite you at this point to consider 
this all -pervading element in the limits of 

(105) 



106 Lectures. 

four by four. Every man's body has some 
shape or figure; so has every man's life in 
every intelligent conception. There are 
some great lives, there are some little lives, 
some straight, some crooked, some long 
and some short. Some lives are useful and 
some unuseful, some unsymmetrical and 
some symmetrical. Because there is no de- 
sire in any of us to develop a little crooked, 
short and unuseful life, we now let a con- 
sideration of such a life pass from before us. 

It is befitting that we notice further sym- 
metrical life. It is ideal. It is a composite 
number in which straight, long and useful 
lives are factors. An essential element in 
this life is regularity — four by four. Some 
men are four in knowledge and only two 
in wisdom; others are just the opposite. 
Some are four in catching hold and two in 
" stickitiveness ; " a great deal of capacity 
for impression, but little ability for expres- 
sion. 

Thothmes III, the Egyptian Alexander 
the Great, was not equal in his life of 
real literature and science to his architec- 
ture ; Drake was more injustice than mercy ; 
Caesar was longer than he was wide, and 



Four bv Four. 107 



sank when the tide of popularity was in 
his favor ; exorbitant appetite was the fly 
in the ointment in the life of Alexander the 
Conqueror. 

Man seems one sided by nature — a bal- 
anced life comes through development. Four 
by four gives squareness in life. That char- 
acter in which all opposite points are 
equally distant from a common center, 
manifests squareness of dealing in all af- 
fairs. The man who conceived and con- 
structed the monuments and sphinxes of 
Egypt and taught their summits to sing 
when kissed by the rising sun, is the won- 
der of the wonder he has constructed. Cy- 
rus Field, who laid the Atlantic Cable, per- 
formed a daring exploit. Luther, who nailed 
the ninety-five theses on the Wittenburg 
Cathedral door, has been recorded as one 
the bravest of earth ; but the one that has 
written on a tombstone over his hoarj^ head 
and recorded in heaven, "I have dealt 
squarely in all things with my fellow-man," 
is a greater hero than the}-. 

The saying that the Irishman waits for a 
man to get up when he knocks him down 
in a fight expresses a lofty sentiment. It 



108 Lectures. 

means fair dealing ; it brands as untrue the 
saying, " All things are fair in war." All 
things are not fair in war. Maceo ! Maceo ! 
because of this fact, thy death was an out- 
rage ! 

The business world to-day might well 
learn of the Irishman. It is fair now in 
business to take all a man has and ob- 
struct his way of getting anything more — 
in other words, to knock a man down, 
jump on him and hold him down. A man 
that will be jailed for stealing a hen, is 
complimented if he beats a man and gets 
full paj^ for a half day's work ; a man that 
can get two days' work out of a man for 
the pay of one day is sought by landlords 
and companies. He is called a business 
man, a good manager, an honorable gen- 
tleman and a valuable citizen. This is 
everything but square dealing. In the first 
case it is a hungry man stealing and is con- 
demned, and in the second it is a hungry 
man stolen from without redress. 

The great trusts, combinations and syn- 
dicates in this country are in a great meas- 
ure legalized robbers. They deprive the 
masses of a chance to purchase in keeping 



Four by Four. 109 



with their limited means and fail to ar- 
range for them to get money with which to 
buy at their prices. These organizations 
are artificial persons, hence without heart,, 
though legal. They are four in selfishness, 
but fall short of this measure in the love of 
humanity. His soul has little or no con- 
nection with humanity except that which 
centers in himself; unlike this is the square 
man. To every note of human nature set 
into vibration in those that surround him, 
there sets up a responsive chord in himself. 
All mankind, every phase of life is the same 
distance from and the same nearness to his 
heart, the center of his being. 

A square includes the notion of perpendic- 
ularity. A four by four character is up- 
right. He acts from and on principle; his 
attitude and his conduct toward his fellow- 
man are determined by the numerical meas- 
ure of their relations, standing in terms of 
right. In this sense, his treatment of all is 
the same, from the magnificence of Croesus 
to the humility of Lazarus. Smiles cannot 
induce him into the wrong nor can ridicule 
cause him to leave the right. He does not 
form an acute angle with his friends nor an 



110 Lectures. 

obtuse angle with his enemies ; that is, he 
never leans to his friends nor from his ene- 
mies. He stands erect. He is just in deal- 
ings, but not unmerciful; lenient, but not 
partial; aspiring, but not ambitious. 
Frank, yet courteous, he is positive but not 
bigoted. The upright man loves truth; he 
frankly concedes it to be truth, let it be for 
or against him ; whether asserted by the 
eminent or the humble ; whether held by 
friend or foe — hence the great need of up- 
rightness in a debating club. 

The expression " Four by Four," gives 
rise further to the thought of many in one. 
A single life is composed of many items. 
One's acts and actions make up life. Your 
life is your figure. Just as true as Lin- 
coln's marble figure stands in the material 
world, it exists in the immaterial. What 
kind of immaterial figures are you plan- 
ning and making ? Are you carving it or 
painting it ? What is the size of it ? Every 
man's figure or life will not be the same 
size ; they will vary according to the num- 
ber of acts and the size of each. What is 
the size of your life ? What size, figure or 
picture have you planned to make ? 



Four by Four. Ill 



There is another thing about a figure to 
which it is important to give attention ; 
namely, its form or shape. This depends 
upon the relation and arrangement of the 
point in the outline of the figure. If three 
points are placed actually over one another 
and connected by a point moving in the 
same direction through its whole course, 
the figure will be a straight line. If they 
be placed to the opposite of each other and 
one below and connected by straight lines, 
the figure will be a triangle. 

Points can be arranged to make a 
straight line, a crooked line, a regular fig- 
ure or a crank-sided figure. Likewise the 
acts in our life will determine the figure it 
will make ; but these acts must be in keep- 
ing with the general outline of our being. 
Hence the necessity of looking after the 
points in our being. If they be four by 
four our acts will be regular, square and 
upright, and our lives one harmonious 
whole. But such a figure as I have already 
said does not come as a rule by nature, but 
by development. Hence the world in gen- 
eral is not balanced. The developments 
have filled the annals of history and sent 



112 Lectures. 



their names thundering down the halls of 
time. I am not unconscious of the fact 
that some two by four men are seemingly 
a contradiction to this statement ; but 
they are exceptions to the general rule. 
Like a wondering "meteor" they pierced the 
unbroken darkness of a particular period 
and were caught in the kodak of some 
watchers of the heavens. They stand in 
history as events, while the balanced char- 
acters seem to work upon you as a magic 
force, or an energizing influence. Such is the 
feeling that comes upon one as he stands face 
to face with the Hebrew patriarch, Abra- 
ham, listens to words of Moses the law 
giver, and ponders the course of George 
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the invinci- 
ble U. S. Grant and Touissant L'Ouverture. 
Our Longfellow in his wandering "Evange- 
line" and "Be not like dumb driven cattle, be 
a hero in the strife," will be read as long as 
the bells swing in the tower to call the 
youth to the feast of wisdom. Shakespeare 
is a marvel of the ages, so vast in scope, 
minute in description of human nature, and 
natural to life are his writings, that they 
fascinate alike the illiterate and the learned. 



Four by Four. 113 



The most striking illustration of my 
point is the Lord Jesus Christ. He was 
the squarest of the square. In him was a 
responsive chord to every vibration of hu- 
man nature. Truly is he the Son of man. 
He is your model. Towards him as a limit, 
as a variable, you are called upon to 
approach. To aid you in this duty is 
this University and these teachers. For 
the purpose of widening you, your so- 
cieties have been organized. If it is true 
that every one of you gathered together 
here is doing like your modeldid, grow- 
ing in statue, in grace, and knowledge and 
wisdom, my soul rejoices exceedingly. 

Grow in knowledge until the domain of 
science has been traversed ; grow until 
every principle of oratory is held bound 
in the knowledge of all these, and until 
every masterpiece in literature will be our 
servants upon the platform and with the 
pen ; until every law in parliament will be 
as familiar as your names. Grow until 
every art in debate be mastered, and every 
note in music be reached. 

Grow in grace until your association be- 
comes heavenly; then the desire in every 



114 Lectures. 



heart for the success of every member 
and the failure of none will prevail. Sub- 
ordination and authority will assume 
their proper relation in the body, and 
the recognition and hearty support of 
every member will be secured. The Presi- 
dent will preside with dignity and the sub- 
jects "will obey with docility. Our young 
men "will be elevated in their speeches and 
the ladies will perform their parts with 
the sweetest grace. In this society the de- 
baters will learn to refer to one another re- 
spectfully, delighting to concede points 
made by an opponent, rather than ridi- 
cule him and say he has made no point. 
Treating an opponent or bitter antagonist 
with courtesy and toleration is one of the 
highest graces and is always evidence of a 
four-by-four gentleman. 

Aspiration without ambition will be the 
life of the society. When shrewdness mi- 
nus treachery becomes its "modus operan- 
di" wisdom will shed its benign influence 
in keeping with the development; every 
figure in the institution will be upright, 
and the society a square in which shall rise 
and go forth into the world a Tom Reed on 



Four by Four, 115 



Parliamentary usage ; a Blaine or McKin- 
ley on Diplomacy ; a Deborah in Israel; a 
Frances Harper in poetry and a Frances 
Willard onTemperance. 

A Cicero with burning lips will come 
forth and Demosthenes in thundering elo- 
quence will rise from his grave to plead the 
cause of the oppressed and fight the trust 
and syndicate robbery rife in the land, and 
lead reforms in Church and State, being 
cheered while they work by the Angelic fig- 
ure of Ebony, whose songs are sweeter than 
those of the beautiful " Syrian singers. " 

The work against wrong waiting for the 
coming generation will consist in "stands 
and mo ves.' ' A house whose superstructure 
is broader than its foundation is as unsafe 
as it is distasteful. The ship whose length 
is out of proper proportion to its width 
is at a disadvantage in its movements ; 
especially is this true if the defect is in the 
sails. We here and there must take a stand 
against popular evils — political rottenness, 
moral corruption, civil and business imper- 
fections and religious degeneracy. The 
winds of adversity will blow against you ; 
if you are not four by four you will fall. 



116 Lectures. 

I was told the other day that one hun- 
dred dollars can buy every politician in 
Dallas County. If a few jugs of liquor 
sweetened with white supremacy or chloro- 
formed with Republican "equalitism" be 
freely handed around, they can be bought 
for less than one hundred. Why is this? Be- 
cause they are narrow two-by-four — work- 
ing to eat instead of eating to work. 

In the State Association in Montgomery, 
I heard a discussion on " Who has and who 
should have the greatest influence and con- 
trol over the children, the teacher or the 
preacher? " The spirit and manner in which 
the discussion was conducted s_erved no 
purpose, save to show the departure from 
the high and pure order or kind of religion 
that existed in the days of the Fathers. One 
debater said the preacher influences both 
child and teacher, giving the idea that he 
who sways the heart controls the spirit. 
A young man replied, "Yes, the Negro 
preachers have too much power. We are 
going to have this controlling business di- 
vided up." This discussion is probably 
the outgrowth of incompetent ministers in 
our pulpit and one-sided developed teachers 



Four by Four. 117 



in our schools and narrow ambitious men 
in our churches. 

Many of the organizations called church- 
es now-a-days are mockeries. Equality of 
the members has been made too much of in 
some and given too little attention in 
others. Double honor to the bishop or 
pastor has been overrated and underrated 
and relegated. There is not a vesture of 
Christianity in them. The man that pays 
the most dollars, etc., is the pastor, deacon 
and all, in many of our churches, just 
as it is in the societies of the world. He 
that takes a successful stand against cor- 
ruption in the church must be wide as well 
as long. 

Life is not only a battle, but it is a con- 
quest. A blustering rush to other green 
fields, richer treasury and fresh lands fills 
the world. The scientist is rustling the 
rocky leaves of the earth for the capturing 
of new principles of nature, and the com- 
mercial world is busy opening new trades. 
The laborer is conducting a crusade to cap- 
ture more money for the work he does. 
Empire still dreams of land far away and a 
short route to India. Classes and masses, 



118 Lectures. 

each one in his own little boat, sails out of 
the harbor in his own and different direc- 
tions and rides on the deep sea. 

The thousands of students in the hun- 
dreds of schools are now rigging their ships 
to launch out on the storm-lashed ocean. 
How successfully they will ride the foam- 
crested waves and white-capped billows 
depends upon how broad and well they 
have built the keel. How far will they sail 
and moor depends upon the equality and 
regularity of the sails — their wings of flight. 

The bird with one short wing and one 
long one can't fly very high nor far ; neither 
can two-by-four men. Frederick Douglass 
has gone to join Moses, who slept on Ne- 
bo's top ; Joseph C. Price lives only in the 
hearts of them that chanced to be touched 
by the magic of his oratory ; John Mercer 
Langston, the scholar and statesman, has 
fallen; Hon. B. K. Bruce followed the 
triumvirate a few 7 weeks ago into the way 
of all the earth. In the past we learned to 
look to these men to speak to Pharaoh for 
us, but they are dead. Hence, another and, 
in a great measure, new leadership must 
come. 



Four by Four, 119 



The special work of the coming leaders 
will be to organize the forces our honored 
dead have collected and held together. The 
past has been spent in getting offices ; the 
future will be a making-office-and-position 
period. The height of the Negro's ambition 
in the past was to carry on business for 
others ; the future Negro will look after 
overseeing farms for the Negro, selling 
goods for a Negro boss, building a railroad 
for a Negro company. Hence the necessity 
of four -by-four leaders for the future. 

Oh, the future is freighted with dreadful 
consequences. They must be faced by this 
country regardless of color or race. New 
difficulties are arising for us to face that our 
fathers never dreamed of. The Vanderbilts 
have the railroad systems ; the Chicago 
trusts are controlling the bread of this 
country ; Wall Street has a monopoly of 
the foundries and the furnaces and banks 
of the country ; Messrs. Beal and Kellogg 
are the absolute " monarchs " of newspaper 
printing, from the frozen lakes to the turbu- 
lent waters of the Gulf. These organiza- 
tions stand in the way of the poor man's 
rising. They are new difficulties to be sur- 



120 Lectures. 



mounted. New methods in operating are in- 
evitable. Organizations must be included in 
the remedy for our ills. 

Gentlemen and ladies of the societies, pre- 
pare yourselves for the task. The men with 
the learning of a Blyden, the courage of a 
Douglass, the matchless eloquence of a 
Price, the activity of a Wm. J. Simmons, 
theblandness of a Bruce, the burning logic 
of a Langston, that would change the senti- 
ment of this country in the Negro's favor 
and bring to him the full realization of his 
rights must be round men, balanced charac- 
ters — a resurrection of the humble Naza- 
rene, who lifted the gates of Rome off their 
hinges and turned the water of ages into 
new channels. 

If I have succeeded in warning you 
against a one-sided life, and making you 
think seriously on the weighty obligations 
awaiting you, I shall feel that the time I 
have used in this effort has brought to me 
more than ample returns. With hope that 
such is true, I leave you to meet you 
" Four by Four, " on the field of active life 
in the near future. 



ERATTA. 



Page 11. — " The book is not prepared for 
the philosopher or the theologian, but for 
truth, " should read, "The book is not pre- 
pared for the philosopher or the theologian, 
but for humble seekers of truth." 

Page 75, eleventh line. — The word " can- 
yons " should be " canons." 



\m$ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




